TRAVELING WAVES, CATASTROPHES AND BIFURCATIONS IN A GENERIC SECOND ORDER TRAFFIC FLOW MODEL

Abstract

We consider the macroscopic, second order model of Kerner–Konhäuser for traffic flow given by a system of PDE. Assuming conservation of cars, traveling waves solution of the PDE are reduced to a dynamical system in the plane. We prove that under generic conditions on the so-called fundamental diagram, the surface of critical points has a fold or cusp catastrophe and each fold point gives rise to a Takens–Bogdanov bifurcation. In particular, limit cycles arising from a Hopf bifurcation give place to traveling wave solutions of the PDE.