The pressureless limits of Riemann solutions to the Euler equations of one-dimensional compressible fluid flow with a source term

Abstract

In this paper, we study the limits of Riemann solutions to the inhomogeneous Euler equations of one-dimensional compressible fluid flow as the adiabatic exponent $\gamma$ tends to one. Different from the homogeneous equations, the Riemann solutions of the inhomogeneous system are non self-similar. It is rigorously shown that, as $\gamma$ tends to one, any two-shock Riemann solution tends to a delta shock solution of the pressureless Euler system with a source term, and the intermediate density between the two shocks tends to a weighted $\delta$-mesaure which forms the delta shock; while any two-rarefaction-wave Riemann solution tends to a two-contact-discontinuity solution of the pressureless Euler system with a source term, whose intermediate state between the two contact discontinuities is a vacuum state. Moreover, we also give some numerical results to confirm the theoretical analysis.