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Cahn-Hilliard Equation with Nonlocal Singular Free Energies

Analysis of PDEs 2013-11-15 v1

Abstract

We consider a Cahn-Hilliard equation which is the conserved gradient flow of a nonlocal total free energy functional. This functional is characterized by a Helmholtz free energy density, which can be of logarithmic type. Moreover, the spatial interactions between the different phases are modeled by a singular kernel. As a consequence, the chemical potential μ\mu contains an integral operator acting on the concentration difference cc, instead of the usual Laplace operator. We analyze the equation on a bounded domain subject to no-flux boundary condition for μ\mu and by assuming constant mobility. We first establish the existence and uniqueness of a weak solution and some regularity properties. These results allow us to define a dissipative dynamical system on a suitable phase-space and we prove that such a system has a (connected) global attractor. Finally, we show that a Neumann-like boundary condition can be recovered for cc, provided that it is supposed to be regular enough.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1311.3642,
  title  = {Cahn-Hilliard Equation with Nonlocal Singular Free Energies},
  author = {Helmut Abels and Stefano Bosia and Maurizio Grasselli},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1311.3642},
  year   = {2013}
}

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43 pages