The stability of explicit difference schemes for solving the problem of interaction between a compressible fluid and an elastic shell

A mathematical model for describing the interaction between a compressible fluid and an elastic shell is formulated as an initial boundary value problem. The partial differential equations of the model are discretized both in time and space by a finite-difference method. The stability of the resulting explicit difference schemes is analyzed by Kreiss' theory for the stability analysis of difference schemes in initial boundary value problems. It is shown that the stability properties of the schemes for the interaction problem may be influenced by the type of discretization in space used for the contact condition on the interface between the fluid and the shell and also by the approximation of the hydrodynamic pressure on the surface of the shell. A simple sufficient condition is found that will ensure the best possible stability properties of the schemes. Several of these, which are of practical interest, are analyzed.