Singularities in Euler flows: multivalued solutions, shock waves, and phase transitions

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze various types of critical phenomena in one-dimensional gas flows described by Euler equations. We give a geometrical interpretation of thermodynamics with a special emphasis on phase transitions. We use ideas from the geometrical theory of PDEs, in particular, symmetries and differential constraints to find solutions to the Euler system. Solutions obtained are multivalued, have singularities of projection to the plane of independent variables. We analyze the propagation of the shock wave front along with phase transitions.