The Vacuum in Nonisentropic Gas Dynamics

We investigate the vacuum in nonisentropic gas dynamics in one space variable, with the most general equation of states allowed by thermodynamics. We recall physical constraints on the equations of state and give explicit and easily checkable conditions under which vacuums occur in the solution of the Riemann problem. We then present a class of models for which the Riemann problem admits unique global solutions without vacuums.