$C^\infty$ regularity in semilinear free boundary problems

Abstract

We study the higher regularity of solutions and free boundaries in the Alt-Phillips problem $\Delta u=u^{\gamma-1}$, with $\gamma\in(0,1)$. Our main results imply that, once free boundaries are $C^{1,\alpha}$, then they are $C^\infty$. In addition $u/d^{\frac{2}{2-\gamma}}$ and $u^{\frac{2-\gamma}{2}}$ are $C^\infty$ too. In order to achieve this, we need to establish fine regularity estimates for solutions of linear equations with boundary-singular Hardy potentials $-\Delta v = \kappa v/d^2$ in $\Omega$, where $d$ is the distance to the boundary and $\kappa\leq\frac{1}{4}$. Interestingly, we need to include even the critical constant $\kappa=\frac{1}{4}$, which corresponds to $\gamma=\frac{2}{3}$.