On "jamitons," self-sustained nonlinear traffic waves

2008/09/17 by Morris R. Flynn, M. R. Flynn, Aslan R. Kasimov +9
Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #35Q80 #76H05 #90B20 #Analysis of PDEs (math.AP) #FOS: Mathematics #FOS: Physical sciences #Mathematical Physics (math-ph) #Nonlinear Photonic Systems #Pattern Formation and Solitons (nlin.PS) #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph) #Traffic control and management #math-ph #math.AP #math.MP #msc:35Q80 #msc:76H05 #msc:90B20 #nlin.PS #physics.soc-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.0809.2828

6 pages, 4 figures

arxiv created 2008/09/17 · openalex publication_date 2008/09/17 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

"Phantom jams," traffic blockages that arise without apparent cause, have long frustrated transportation scientists. Herein, we draw a novel homology between phantom jams and a related class of self-sustained transonic waves, namely detonations. Through this analogy, we describe the jam structure; favorable agreement with reported measurements from congested highways is observed. Complementary numerical simulations offer insights into the jams' development. Our results identify conditions likely to result in a dangerous concentration of vehicles and thereby lend guidance in traffic control and roadway design.

Related

• Traffic jams without bottlenecks—experimental evidence for the physical mechanism of the formation of a jam
• Self-Organized Criticality and 1/f Noise in Traffic
• Jams, Waves, and Clusters
• Spatio-temporal propagation of traffic jams in urban traffic networks
• A Review of Stop-and-Go Traffic Wave Suppression Strategies: Variable Speed Limit vs. Jam-Absorption Driving