Formation of Vacuum State and Delta Shock in the Solution of Two‐Dimensional Riemann Problem for Zero Pressure Gas Dynamics

ABSTRACT In this article, we investigate the two‐dimensional pressureless Euler equations with three constant Riemann initial data. Our primary focus is on the wave interactions involving contact discontinuities and delta shocks. A distinguishing feature of the solution is the emergence of a delta shock wave which is characterized by a Dirac delta function appearing in both the density and internal energy variables. By exploiting generalized characteristic analysis, nine topologically distinct solution patterns are derived. Some of these configurations exhibit features similar to Mach‐reflection and in certain cases, vacuum regions may also develop. To validate the theoretical results, numerical simulations are carried out using a semidiscrete central upwind scheme. The comparison between analytical and numerical results demonstrates excellent agreement, providing deeper insights into the complex dynamics of wave interactions in the pressureless Euler system.