A piston to counteract diffusion: The influence of an inward-shifting boundary on the heat equation in half-space

Abstract

To better understand how populations respond to dynamic external pressure, we propose a new diffusion model in the moving half-line {z $\ge$ b(t)}, where the boundary position b(t) is a given nondecreasing function of time. A Robin boundary condition is imposed at z = b(t) to prevent individuals from leaving the domain, so that the shifting boundary acts as an impermeable wall-a ''piston''-that sweeps the individuals it encounters. Our analysis focuses on the cases where b(t) $\sim$ ct^$\beta$ with $\beta$ $\in$ [0, 1]. We prove quantitative convergence results characterized by attraction toward self-similar profiles, based on entropy techniques and Duhamel's principle. When $\beta$ goes through the critical value 1/2, the shape of the self-similar asymptotic profile switches from Gaussian to exponential. In particular, this profile turns out to be stationary when $\beta$ = 1, reflecting a delicate balance between diffusion and advection induced by the moving boundary.