Riemann problem and wave interactions for an inhomogeneous Aw-Rascle traffic flow model with extended Chaplygin gas

The Riemann problem and wave interactions are discussed and investigated for an inhomogeneous Aw-Rascle (AR) traffic flow model with extended Chaplygin gas pressure. First, under some variable transformation, the Riemann problem with initial data of two piecewise constants is solved and two different types of Riemann solutions involving rarefaction wave, shock wave and contact discontinuity are obtained. Second, by studying the Riemann problem with three-piecewise-constant initial data, we analyze the interactions of waves and establish the global structures of Riemann solutions. It is shown that, influenced by the source term, the Riemann solutions for the inhomogeneous AR traffic flow model are no longer self-similar, and all the elementary wave curves do not keep straight. Finally, the stability of solution under the small perturbation of initial data is briefly discussed.