Mathematical problems concerning time evolution of solutions related to nonlinear systems modelling dynamics of continuous media are of great interest both in wave propagation and in stability problems. During the last few decades many striking developments have taken place, especially in connection with the effects of nonlinearity of the equations describing physical situations.The articles in this book have been written by reputable specialists in the field and represent a valuable contribution to its advancement. The topics are: discontinuity and shock waves; linear and nonlinear stability in fluid dynamics; kinetic theories and comparison with continuum models; propagation and non-equilibrium thermodynamics; exact solutions via group methods; numerical applications.

The book contains recent contributions in the field of waves propagation and stability in continuous media. In particular, the contributions consider discontinuity and shock waves, stability in fluid dynamics, small parameter problems, kinetic theories towards continuum models, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, and numerical applications.The volume is the fourth in a series published by World Scientific since 1999. The following distinguished authors contribute to the present book: S Bianchini, R Caflish, C Cercignani, Y Choquet-Bruhat, C Dafermos, L Desvillettes, V Giovangigli, H Gouin, I Muller, D Parker, B Straughan, M Sugiyama and W Weiss.

This book contains about 20 invited papers and 40 contributed papers in the research areas of theoretical continuum mechanics, kinetic theory and numerical applications of continuum mechanics. Collectively these papers give a good overview of the activities and developments in these fields in the last few years.The proceedings have been selected for coverage in:• Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings® (ISTP® / ISI Proceedings)• Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings)• CC Proceedings — Engineering & Physical Sciences

Mathematical problems concerning time evolution of solutions related to nonlinear systems modelling dynamics of continuous media are of great interest both in wave propagation and in stability problems. During the last few decades many striking developments have taken place, especially in connection with the effects of nonlinearity of the equations describing physical situations. The articles in this book have been written by reputable specialists in the field and represent a valuable contribution to its advancement. The topics are: discontinuity and shock waves; linear and nonlinear stability in fluid dynamics; kinetic theories and comparison with continuum models; propagation and non-equilibrium thermodynamics; exact solutions via group methods; numerical applications.

The book contains recent contributions in the field of waves propagation and stability in continuous media. In particular, the contributions consider discontinuity and shock waves, stability in fluid dynamics, small parameter problems, kinetic theories towards continuum models, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, and numerical applications.The volume is the fourth in a series published by World Scientific since 1999. The following distinguished authors contribute to the present book: S Bianchini, R Caflish, C Cercignani, Y Choquet-Bruhat, C Dafermos, L Desvillettes, V Giovangigli, H Gouin, I Muller, D Parker, B Straughan, M Sugiyama and W Weiss.

This book contains about 20 invited papers and 40 contributed papers in the research areas of theoretical continuum mechanics, kinetic theory and numerical applications of continuum mechanics. Collectively these papers give a good overview of the activities and developments in these fields in the last few years. The proceedings have been selected for coverage in: . OCo Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings- (ISTP- / ISI Proceedings). OCo Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings). OCo CC Proceedings OCo Engineering & Physical Sciences. Contents: Chaos in Some Linear Kinetic Models (J Banasiak); Inverse Problems in Photon Transport. Part I: Determination of Physical and Geometrical Features of an Interstellar Cloud (A Belleni-Morante et al.); Inverse Problems in Photon Transport. Part II: Features of a Source Inside an Interstellar Cloud (A Belleni-Morante & R Riganti); The Riemann Problem for a Binary Non-Reacting Mixture of Euler Fluids (F Brini & T Ruggeri); Rate of Convergence toward the Equilibrium in Degenerate Settings (L Desvillettes & C Villani); Asymptotic and Other Properties of Positive Definite Integral Measures for Nonlinear Diffusion (J N Flavin); Thermocapillary Fluid and Adiabatic Waves Near its Critical Point (H Gouin); Constitutive Models for Atactic Elastomers (C O Horgan & G Saccomandi); Considerations about the Gibbs Paradox (I Mller); Transport Coefficients in Stochastic Models of the Revised Enskog and Square-Well Kinetic Theories (J Polewczak & G Stell); Some Recent Mathematical Results in Mixtures Theory of Euler Fluids (T Ruggeri); From Kinetic Systems to Diffusion Equations (F Salvarani & J L Vizquez); Non-Boussinesq Convection in Porous Media (B Straughan); and other papers. Readership: Researchers, academics and graduate students working in the fields of continuum mechanics, wave propagation, stability in fluids, kinetic theory and computational fluid dynamics."

This second part of Continuum Thermodynamics is designed to match almost one-to-one the chapters of Part I. This is done so that the reader studying thermodynamics will have a deepened understanding of the subjects covered in Part I. The aims of the book are in particular: the illustration of basic features of some simple thermodynamical models such as ideal and viscous fluids, non-Newtonian fluids, nonlinear solids, interactions with electromagnetic fields, and diffusive porous materials. A further aim is the illustration of the above subjects by examples and simple solutions of initial and boundary problems as well as simple exercises to develop skills in the construction of interdisciplinary macroscopic models.