arXiv subjects

Gui-Qiang G. Chen

Publications and source records attributed to Gui-Qiang G. Chen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Uniqueness and Stability for the Shock Reflection-Diffraction Problem for Potential Flow

When a plane shock hits a two-dimensional wedge head on, it experiences a reflection-diffraction process, and then a self-similar reflected shock moves outward as the original shock moves forward in time. The experimental, computational, and asymptotic analysis has indicated that various patterns occur, including regular reflection and Mach reflection. The von Neumann conjectures on the transition from regular to Mach reflection involve the existence, uniqueness, and stability of regular shock reflection-diffraction configurations, generated by concave cornered wedges for compressible flow. In this paper, we discuss some recent developments in the study of the von Neumann conjectures. More specifically, we present our recent results of the uniqueness and stability of regular shock reflection-diffraction configurations governed by the potential flow equation in an appropriate class of solutions. We first show that the transonic shocks in the global solutions obtained in Chen-Feldman [19] are convex. Then we establish the uniqueness of global shock reflection-diffraction configurations with convex transonic shocks for any wedge angle larger than the detachment angle or the critical angle. Moreover, the stability of the solutions with respect to the wedge angle is also shown. Our approach also provides an alternative way of proving the existence of the admissible solutions established first in [19].

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arXiv2019

Kolmogorov-Type Theory of Compressible Turbulence and Inviscid Limit of the Navier-Stokes Equations in $\mathbb{R}^3$

We are concerned with the inviscid limit of the Navier-Stokes equations to the Euler equations for compressible fluids in $\mathbb{R}^3$. Motivated by the Kolmogorov hypothesis (1941) for incompressible flow, we introduce a Kolmogorov-type hypothesis for barotropic flows, in which the density and the sonic speed normally vary significantly. We then observe that the compressible Kolmogorov-type hypothesis implies the uniform boundedness of some fractional derivatives of the weighted velocity and sonic speed in the space variables in $L^2$, which is independent of the viscosity coefficient $μ>0$. It is shown that this key observation yields the equicontinuity in both space and time of the density in $L^γ$ and the momentum in $L^2$, as well as the uniform bound of the density in $L^{q_1}$ and the velocity in $L^{q_2}$ independent of $μ>0$, for some fixed $q_1 >γ$ and $q_2 >2$, where $γ>1$ is the adiabatic exponent. These results lead to the strong convergence of solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations to a solution of the Euler equations for barotropic fluids in $\mathbb{R}^3$. Not only do we offer a framework for mathematical existence theories, but also we offer a framework for the interpretation of numerical solutions through the identification of a function space in which convergence should take place, with the bounds that are independent of $μ>0$, that is in the high Reynolds number limit.

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arXiv2019

Steady Euler Flows with Large Vorticity and Characteristic Discontinuities in Arbitrary Infinitely Long Nozzles

We establish the existence and uniqueness of smooth solutions with large vorticity and weak solutions with vortex sheets/entropy waves for the steady Euler equations for both compressible and incompressible fluids in arbitrary infinitely long nozzles. We first develop a new approach to establish the existence of smooth solutions without assumptions on the sign of the second derivatives of the horizontal velocity, or the Bernoulli and entropy functions, at the inlet for the smooth case. Then the existence for the smooth case can be applied to construct approximate solutions to establish the existence of weak solutions with vortex sheets/entropy waves by nonlinear arguments. This is the first result on the global existence of solutions of the multidimensional steady compressible full Euler equations with free boundaries, which are not necessarily small perturbations of piecewise constant background solutions. The subsonic-sonic limit of the solutions is also shown. Finally, through the incompressible limit, we establish the existence and uniqueness of incompressible Euler flows in arbitrary infinitely long nozzles for both the smooth solutions with large vorticity and the weak solutions with vortex sheets. The methods and techniques developed here will be useful for solving other problems involving similar difficulties.

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arXiv2019

Cauchy Fluxes and Gauss-Green Formulas for Divergence-Measure Fields over General Open Sets

We establish the interior and exterior Gauss-Green formulas for divergence-measure fields in $L^p$ over general open sets, motivated by the rigorous mathematical formulation of the physical principle of balance law via the Cauchy flux in the axiomatic foundation, for continuum mechanics allowing discontinuities and singularities. The method, based on a distance function, allows to give a representation of the interior (resp. exterior) normal trace of the field on the boundary of any given open set as the limit of classical normal traces over the boundaries of interior (resp. exterior) smooth approximations of the open set. In the particular case of open sets with continuous boundary, the approximating smooth sets can explicitly be characterized by using a regularized distance. We also show that any open set with Lipschitz boundary has a regular Lipschitz deformable boundary from the interior. In addition, some new product rules for divergence-measure fields and suitable scalar functions are presented, and the connection between these product rules and the representation of the normal trace of the field as a Radon measure is explored. With these formulas at hand, we introduce the notion of Cauchy fluxes as functionals defined on the boundaries of general bounded open sets for the rigorous mathematical formulation of the physical principle of balance law, and show that the Cauchy fluxes can be represented by corresponding divergence-measure fields.

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arXiv2018

The Inviscid Limit of the Navier-Stokes Equations with Kinematic and Navier Boundary Conditions

We are concerned with the inviscid limit of the Navier-Stokes equations on bounded regular domains in $\mathbb{R}^3$ with the kinematic and Navier boundary conditions. We first establish the existence and uniqueness of strong solutions in the class $C([0,T_\star); H^r(Ω; \mathbb{R}^3)) \cap C^1([0,T_\star); H^{r-2}(Ω;\mathbb{R}^3))$ with some $T_\star>0$ for the initial-boundary value problem with the kinematic and Navier boundary conditions on $\partial Ω$ and divergence-free initial data in the Sobolev space $H^r(Ω; \mathbb{R}^3)$ for $r\geq 2$. Then, for the strong solution with $H^{r+1}$--regularity in the spatial variables, we establish the inviscid limit in $H^r(Ω; \mathbb{R}^3)$ uniformly on $[0,T_\star)$ for $r > \frac{5}{2}$. This shows that the boundary layers do not develop up to the highest order Sobolev norm in $H^{r}(Ω;\mathbb{R}^3)$ in the inviscid limit. Furthermore, we present an intrinsic geometric proof for the failure of the strong inviscid limit under a non-Navier slip-type boundary condition.

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arXiv2018

Stability of Steady Multi-Wave Configurations for the Full Euler Equations of Compressible Fluid Flow

We are concerned with the stability of steady multi-wave configurations for the full Euler equations of compressible fluid flow. In this paper, we focus on the stability of steady four-wave configurations that are the solutions of the Riemann problem in the flow direction, consisting of two shocks, one vortex sheet, and one entropy wave, which is one of the core multi-wave configurations for the two-dimensional Euler equations. It is proved that such steady four-wave configurations in supersonic flow are stable in structure globally, even under the BV perturbation of the incoming flow in the flow direction. In order to achieve this, we first formulate the problem as the Cauchy problem (initial value problem) in the flow direction, and then develop a modified Glimm difference scheme and identify a Glimm-type functional to obtain the required BV estimates by tracing the interactions not only between the strong shocks and weak waves, but also between the strong vortex sheet/entropy wave and weak waves. The key feature of the Euler equations is that the reflection coefficient is always less than 1, when a weak wave of different family interacts with the strong vortex sheet/entropy wave or the shock wave, which is crucial to guarantee that the Glimm functional is decreasing. Then these estimates are employed to establish the convergence of the approximate solutions to a global entropy solution, close to the background solution of steady four-wave configuration.

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arXiv2018

Vanishing Viscosity Approach to the Compressible Euler Equations for Transonic Nozzle and Spherically Symmetric Flows

We are concerned with globally defined entropy solutions to the Euler equations for compressible fluid flows in transonic nozzles with general cross-sectional areas. Such nozzles include the de Laval nozzles and other more general nozzles whose cross-sectional area functions are allowed at the nozzle ends to be either zero (closed ends) or infinity (unbounded ends). To achieve this, in this paper, we develop a vanishing viscosity method to construct globally defined approximate solutions and then establish essential uniform estimates in weighted $L^p$ norms for the whole range of physical adiabatic exponents $γ\in (1, \infty)$, so that the viscosity approximate solutions satisfy the general $L^p$ compensated compactness framework. The viscosity method is designed to incorporate artificial viscosity terms with the natural Dirichlet boundary conditions to ensure the uniform estimates. Then such estimates lead to both the convergence of the approximate solutions and the existence theory of globally defined finite-energy entropy solutions to the Euler equations for transonic flows that may have different end-states in the class of nozzles with general cross-sectional areas for all $γ\in (1, \infty)$. The approach and techniques developed here apply to other problems with similar difficulties. In particular, we successfully apply them to construct globally defined spherically symmetric entropy solutions to the Euler equations for all $γ\in (1, \infty)$.

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arXiv2018

Compensated Compactness in Banach Spaces and Weak Rigidity of Isometric Immersions of Manifolds

We present a compensated compactness theorem in Banach spaces established recently, whose formulation is originally motivated by the weak rigidity problem for isometric immersions of manifolds with lower regularity. As a corollary, a geometrically intrinsic div-curl lemma for tensor fields on Riemannian manifolds is obtained. Then we show how this intrinsic div-curl lemma can be employed to establish the global weak rigidity of the Gauss-Codazzi-Ricci equations, the Cartan formalism, and the corresponding isometric immersions of Riemannian submanifolds.

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arXiv2018

Stability and Asymptotic Behavior of Transonic Flows Past Wedges for the Full Euler Equations

The existence, uniqueness, and asymptotic behavior of steady transonic flows past a curved wedge, involving transonic shocks, governed by the two-dimensional full Euler equations are established. The stability of both weak and strong transonic shocks under the perturbation of both the upstream supersonic flow and the wedge boundary is proved. The problem is formulated as a one-phase free boundary problem, in which the transonic shock is treated as a free boundary. The full Euler equations are decomposed into two algebraic equations and a first-order elliptic system of two equations in Lagrangian coordinates. With careful elliptic estimates by using appropriate weighted Hölder norms, the iteration map is defined and analyzed, and the existence of its fixed point is established by performing the Schauder fixed point argument. The careful analysis of the asymptotic behavior of the solutions reveals particular characters of the full Euler equations.

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arXiv2017

Global Weak Solutions for the Compressible Active Liquid Crystal System

We study the hydrodynamics of compressible flows of active liquid crystals in the Beris-Edwards hydrodynamics framework, using the Landau-de Gennes $Q$-tensor order parameter to describe liquid crystalline ordering. We prove the existence of global weak solutions for this active system in three space dimensions by the three-level approximations and weak convergence argument. New techniques and estimates are developed to overcome the difficulties caused by the active terms.

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arXiv2017

Fluids, Geometry, and the Onset of Navier-Stokes Turbulence in Three Space Dimensions

A theory for the evolution of a metric $g$ driven by the equations of three-dimensional continuum mechanics is developed. This metric in turn allows for the local existence of an evolving three-dimensional Riemannian manifold immersed in the six-dimensional Euclidean space. The Nash-Kuiper theorem is then applied to this Riemannian manifold to produce a wild evolving $C^{1}$ manifold. The theory is applied to the incompressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. One practical outcome of the theory is a computation of critical profile initial data for what may be interpreted as the onset of turbulence for the classical incompressible Navier-Stokes equations.

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arXiv2017

Global Weak Rigidity of the Gauss-Codazzi-Ricci Equations and Isometric Immersions of Riemannian Manifolds with Lower Regularity

We are concerned with the global weak rigidity of the Gauss-Codazzi-Ricci (GCR) equations on Riemannian manifolds and the corresponding isometric immersions of Riemannian manifolds into the Euclidean spaces. We develop a unified intrinsic approach to establish the global weak rigidity of both the GCR equations and isometric immersions of the Riemannian manifolds, independent of the local coordinates, and provide further insights of the previous local results and arguments. The critical case has also been analyzed. To achieve this, we first reformulate the GCR equations with div-curl structure intrinsically on Riemannian manifolds and develop a global, intrinsic version of the div-curl lemma and other nonlinear techniques to tackle the global weak rigidity on manifolds. In particular, a general functional-analytic compensated compactness theorem on Banach spaces has been established, which includes the intrinsic div-curl lemma on Riemannian manifolds as a special case. The equivalence of global isometric immersions, the Cartan formalism, and the GCR equations on the Riemannian manifolds with lower regularity is established. We also prove a new weak rigidity result along the way, pertaining to the Cartan formalism, for Riemannian manifolds with lower regularity, and extend the weak rigidity results for Riemannian manifolds with unfixed metrics.

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arXiv2017

Supersonic Flow onto Solid Wedges, Multidimensional Shock Waves and Free Boundary Problems

When an upstream steady uniform supersonic flow impinges onto a symmetric straight-sided wedge, governed by the Euler equations, there are two possible steady oblique shock configurations if the wedge angle is less than the detachment angle -- the steady weak shock with supersonic or subsonic downstream flow (determined by the wedge angle that is less or larger than the sonic angle) and the steady strong shock with subsonic downstream flow, both of which satisfy the entropy condition. The fundamental issue -- whether one or both of the steady weak and strong shocks are physically admissible solutions -- has been vigorously debated over the past eight decades. In this paper, we survey some recent developments on the stability analysis of the steady shock solutions in both the steady and dynamic regimes. For the static stability, we first show how the stability problem can be formulated as an initial-boundary value type problem and then reformulate it into a free boundary problem when the perturbation of both the upstream steady supersonic flow and the wedge boundary are suitably regular and small, and we finally present some recent results on the static stability of the steady supersonic and transonic shocks. For the dynamic stability for potential flow, we first show how the stability problem can be formulated as an initial-boundary value problem and then use the self-similarity of the problem to reduce it into a boundary value problem and further reformulate it into a free boundary problem, and we finally survey some recent developments in solving this free boundary problem for the existence of the Prandtl-Meyer configurations that tend to the steady weak supersonic or transonic oblique shock solutions as time goes to infinity. Some further developments and mathematical challenges in this direction are also discussed.

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arXiv2016

Incompressible Limit of Solutions of Multidimensional Steady Compressible Euler Equations

A compactness framework is formulated for the incompressible limit of approximate solutions with weak uniform bounds with respect to the adiabatic exponent for the steady Euler equations for compressible fluids in any dimension. One of our main observations is that the compactness can be achieved by using only natural weak estimates for the mass conservation and the vorticity. Another observation is that the incompressibility of the limit for the homentropic Euler flow is directly from the continuity equation, while the incompresibility of the limit for the full Euler flow is from a combination of all the Euler equations. As direct applications of the compactness framework, we establish two incompressible limit theorems for multidimensional steady Euler flows through infinitely long nozzles, which lead to two new existence theorems for the corresponding problems for multidimensional steady incompressible Euler equations.

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arXiv2015

The Tricomi Equation

The Tricomi equation is a second-order partial differential equation of mixed elliptic-hyperbolic type. It was first analyzed in the work by Francesco Giacomo Tricomi (1923) on the well-posedness of a boundary value problem. The Tricomi equation can be transformed into the corresponding elliptic or hyperbolic Euler-Poisson-Darboux equation, and has a close connection with transonic flow and isometric embedding. It has different degeneracy from a closely related equation, the Keldysh equation.

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arXiv2015

Subsonic-sonic Limit of Approximate Solutions to Multidimensional Steady Euler Equations

A compactness framework is established for approximate solutions to subsonic-sonic flows governed by the steady full Euler equations for compressible fluids in arbitrary dimension. The existing compactness frameworks for the two-dimensional irrotational case do not directly apply for the steady full Euler equations in higher dimensions. The new compactness framework we develop applies for both non-homentropic and rotational flows. One of our main observations is that the compactness can be achieved by using only natural weak estimates for the mass balance and the vorticity, along with the Bernoulli law and the entropy relation, through a more delicate analysis on the phase space. As direct applications, we establish two existence theorems for multidimensional subsonic-sonic full Euler flows through infinitely long nozzles.

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arXiv2015

Weak Continuity and Compactness for Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations

We present several examples of fundamental problems involving weak continuity and compactness for nonlinear partial differential equations, in which compensated compactness and related ideas have played a significant role. We first focus on the compactness and convergence of vanishing viscosity solutions for nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws, including the inviscid limit from the Navier-Stokes equations to the Euler equations for homentropy flow, the vanishing viscosity method to construct the global spherically symmetric solutions to the multidimensional compressible Euler equations, and the sonic-subsonic limit of solutions of the full Euler equations for multidimensional steady compressible fluids. We then analyze the weak continuity and rigidity of the Gauss-Codazzi-Ricci system and corresponding isometric embeddings in differential geometry. Further references are also provided for some recent developments on the weak continuity and compactness for nonlinear partial differential equations.

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arXiv2014

Free Boundary Problems in Shock Reflection/Diffraction and Related Transonic Flow Problems

Shock waves are steep wave fronts that are fundamental in nature, especially in high-speed fluid flows. When a shock hits an obstacle, or a flying body meets a shock, shock reflection/diffraction phenomena occur. In this paper, we show how several longstanding shock reflection/diffraction problems can be formulated as free boundary problems, discuss some recent progress in developing mathematical ideas, approaches, and techniques for solving these problems, and present some further open problems in this direction. In particular, these shock problems include von Neumann's problem for shock reflection-diffraction by two-dimensional wedges with concave corner, Lighthill's problem for shock diffraction by two-dimensional wedges with convex corner, and Prandtl-Meyer's problem for supersonic flow impinging onto solid wedges, which are also fundamental in the mathematical theory of multidimensional conservation laws.

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