Abstract
We demonstrate the existence of solutions with shocks for the equations describing a perfect fluid in special relativity, namely, divT=0, whereT ij=(p+ρc 2)u i u j+pη ij is the stress energy tensor for the fluid. Here,p denotes the pressure,u the 4-velocity, φ the mass-energy density of the fluid,η ij the flat Minkowski metric, andc the speed of light. We assume that the equation of state is given byp=σ 2 ρ, whereσ 2, the sound speed, is constant. For these equations, we construct bounded weak solutions of the initial value problem in two dimensional Minkowski spacetime, for any initial data of finite total variation. The analysis is based on showing that the total variation of the variable ln(ρ) is non-increasing on approximate weak solutions generated by Glimm's method, and so this quantity, unique to equations of this type, plays a role similar to an energy function. We also show that the weak solutions (ρ(x 0,x 1),v(x 0,x 1)) themselves satisfy the Lorentz invariant estimates Var{ln(ρ(x 0,·)}<V 0 and\(\left\{ {In\frac{{c + v(x^0 , \cdot )}}{{c - v(x^0 , \cdot )}}} \right\}< V_1 \) for allx 0≧0, whereV 0 andV 1 are Lorentz invariant constants that depend only on the total variation of the initial data, andv is the classical velocity. The equation of statep=(c 2/3)ρ describes a gas of highly relativistic particles in several important general relativistic models which describe the evolution of stars.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anile, A.M.: Relativistic Fluids and Magneto-Fluids. Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1989
Christodoulou, D.: Private communication
Courant, R., Friedrichs, K.O.: Supersonic Flow and Shock Waves. New York: Wiley 1948
Dubrovin, B.A., Fomenko, A.T., Novikov, S.P.: Modern Geometry-Methods and Applications. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1984
Glimm, J.: Solutions in the large for nonlinear hyperbolic systems of equations. Commun. Pure Appl. Math.18, 697–715 (1965)
Johnson, M., McKee, C.: Relativistic hydrodynamics in one dimension. Phys. Rev. D,3, no. 4, 858–863 (1971)
Lax, P.D.: Hyperbolic systems of conservation laws, II. Commun. Pure Appl. Math.10, 537–566 (1957)
Liu, T.P.: Private communication
Luskin, M., Temple, B.: The existence of a global weak solution of the waterhammer problem. Commun. Pure Appl. Math.35, 697–735 (1982)
McVittie, G.C.: Gravitational collapse to a small volume. Astro. Phys. J.140, 401–416 (1964)
Misner, C., Sharp, D.: Relativistic equations for adiabatic, spherically symmetric gravitational collapse. Phys. Rev.26, 571–576 (1964)
Nishida, T.: Global solution for an initial boundary value problem of a quasilinear hyperbolic system. Proc. Jap. Acad.44, 642–646 (1968)
Nishida, T., Smoller, J.: Solutions in the large for some nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws. Commun. Pure Appl. Math.26, 183–200 (1973)
Oppenheimer, J.R., Snyder, J.R.: On continued gravitational contraction. Phys. Rev.56, 455–459 (1939)
Oppenheimer, J.R., Volkoff, G.M.: On massive neutron cores. Phys. Rev.55, 374–381 (1939)
Smoller, J.: Shock Waves and Reaction Diffusion Equations. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1983
Taub, A.: Approximate solutions of the Einstein equations for isentropic motions of planesymmetric distributions of perfect fluids. Phys. Rev.107, no. 3, 884–900 (1957)
Thompson, K.: The special relativistic shock tube. J. Fluid Mech.171, 365–375 (1986)
Tolman, R.: Relativity, Thermodynamics and Cosmology. Oxford: Oxford University Press 1934
Weinberg, S.: Gravitation and Cosmology: Principles and Applications of the General Theory of Relativity. New York: Wiley 1972
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by S.-T. Yau
Supported in part by NSF Applied Mathematics Grant Number DMS-89-05205
Supported in part by NSF Applied Mathematics Grant Number DMS-86-13450
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smoller, J., Temple, B. Global solutions of the relativistic Euler equations. Commun.Math. Phys. 156, 67–99 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02096733
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02096733