Applied Math Seminar
Winter Quarter 2008
3:15 p.m.
Sloan Mathematics Corner
Building 380, Room 380-C


Friday, January 11, 2008

Vishnu Sharma
Mathematics
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Weakly nonlinear waves in a relaxing gas


Abstract:

We obtain transport equations describing asymptotic behavior of nonlinear waves propagating through a material medium exhibiting mixed nonlinearity. The effects of genuine nonlinearity leading to the distortion of the wave profile and subsequent shock formation are studied. Asymptotic decay laws influenced by the weak dissipative mechanisms such as stratification, relaxation and non-planar flow configurations are obtained. Transport equations are derived for signals having all possible wave modes which are mutually coupled and interact resonantly among themselves. Kinematics of a shock of arbitrary strength, which is still an open problem in the literature, is briefly discussed.