Rarefaction Wave Interaction and Shock-Rarefaction Composite Wave Interaction for a Two-Dimensional Nonlinear Wave System

In order to construct global solutions to two-dimensional (2D for short) Riemann problems for nonlinear hyperbolic systems of conservation laws, it is important to study various types of wave interactions. This paper deals with two types of wave interactions for a 2D nonlinear wave system with a nonconvex equation of state: Rarefaction wave interaction and shock-rarefaction composite wave interaction. In order to construct solutions to these wave interactions, the authors consider two types of Goursat problems, including standard Goursat problem and discontinuous Goursat problem, for a 2D self-similar nonlinear wave system. Global classical solutions to these Goursat problems are obtained by the method of characteristics. The solutions constructed in the paper may be used as building blocks of solutions of 2D Riemann problems.