Phase-plane analysis of conserved higher-order traffic flow model

The phase-plane analysis is used to study the traveling wave solution of a recently proposed higher-order traffic flow model under the Lagrange coordinate system. The analysis identifies the types and stabilities of the equilibrium solutions, and the overall distribution structure of the nearby solutions is drawn in the phase plane for the further analysis and comparison. The analytical and numerical results are in agreement, and may help to explain the simulated phenomena, such as the stop-and-go wave and oscillation near a bottleneck. The findings demonstrate the model ability to describe the complexity of congested traffic.