arXiv subjects

Katharina Hopf

Publications and source records attributed to Katharina Hopf.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Renormalised solutions to reaction-diffusion systems with interface conditions: Global existence and weak-strong uniqueness

We introduce an extension of the concept of renormalised solutions for entropy-dissipating reaction-diffusion systems due to J. Fischer (Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 218, 2015) to systems coupled by nonlinear interface conditions. For this notion of solution, we establish global existence as well as a weak-strong stability estimate. Our framework allows to handle entropy-dissipating interfacial transmission rates without growth restrictions, including power-law nonlinearities as arising in the thermodynamic modelling of dissipative bulk-interface systems via generalised gradient structures. Our analysis relies on suitable extensions of the species' densities across the interface as well as on a non-local truncated variant of the relative entropy.

math.AP↗

arXiv2025

Well-posedness and relaxation in a simplified model for viscoelastic phase separation via Hilbertian gradient flows

This article is concerned with a gradient-flow approach to a Cahn-Hilliard model for viscoelastic phase separation introduced by Zhou et al. (Phys. Rev. E, 2006) in its variant with constant mobility. By means of time-incremental minimisation and generalised contractivity estimates, we establish the global well-posedness of the Cauchy problem for moderately regular initial data. For general finite-energy data we obtain the existence of gradient-flow solutions and a stability estimate of weak-strong type. We further study the asymptotic behaviour for relaxation time and bulk modulus depending on a small parameter. Depending on the scaling, we recover the Cahn-Hilliard, the mass-conserving Allen-Cahn or the viscous Cahn-Hilliard equation. A challenge in the well-posedness analysis is the failure of semiconvexity of the appropriate driving functional, which is caused by a phase-dependence of the bulk modulus.

math.AP↗

arXiv2024

Interface dynamics in a degenerate Cahn-Hilliard model for viscoelastic phase separation

The formal sharp-interface asymptotics in a degenerate Cahn-Hilliard model for viscoelastic phase separation with cross-diffusive coupling to a bulk stress variable are shown to lead to non-local lower-order counterparts of the classical surface diffusion flow. The diffuse-interface model is a variant of the Zhou-Zhang-E model and has an Onsager gradient-flow structure with a rank-deficient mobility matrix reflecting the ODE character of stress relaxation. In the case of constant coupling, we find that the evolution of the zero level set of the order parameter approximates the so-called intermediate surface diffusion flow. For non-constant coupling functions monotonically connecting the two phases, our asymptotic analysis leads to a new family of third-order evolution laws with associated propagation operators behaving, at leading order, like the square root of the minus Laplace-Beltrami operator. In this case, the normal velocity of the moving sharp interface arises as the Lagrange multiplier in a constrained elliptic equation, which is at the core of our derivation. The constrained elliptic problem can be solved rigorously by a variational argument, and is shown to encode the gradient structure of the effective geometric evolution law. The asymptotics are presented for deep quench, an intermediate free boundary problem based on the double-obstacle potential.

math.AP↗

arXiv2024

On the equilibrium solutions of electro-energy-reaction-diffusion systems

Electro-energy-reaction-diffusion systems are thermodynamically consistent continuum models for reaction-diffusion processes that account for temperature and electrostatic effects in a way that total charge and energy are conserved. The question of the long-time asymptotic behavior of electro-energy-reaction-diffusion systems motivates the characterization of their equilibrium solutions, which leads to a maximization problem of the entropy on the manifold of states with fixed values for the linear charge and the nonlinear convex energy functional. As the main result, we establish the existence, uniqueness, and regularity of solutions to this constrained optimization problem. We give two conceptually different proofs, which are related to different perspectives on the constrained maximization problem. The first one is based on the method of Lagrange multipliers, while the second one employs the direct method of the calculus of variations.

math.AP↗

arXiv2023

Convergence of a finite volume scheme and dissipative measure-valued-strong stability for a hyperbolic-parabolic cross-diffusion system

This article is concerned with the development of a theoretical framework of global measure-valued solutions for a class of hyperbolic-parabolic cross-diffusion systems, and its application to the convergence analysis of a fully discrete finite-volume scheme. After introducing an appropriate notion of dissipative measure-valued solutions to the PDE system, a numerical scheme is proposed which is shown to generate, in the continuum limit, a dissipative measure-valued solution. The parabolic density part of the limiting measure-valued solution is atomic and converges to its constant state for long times. Furthermore, it is proved that whenever the PDE system possesses a strong solution, the convergence of the approximation scheme holds in the strong sense. The results are based on Young measure theory and a weak-strong stability estimate combining Shannon and Rao entropies. The convergence of the numerical scheme is achieved by means of discrete entropy dissipation inequalities and an artificial diffusion, which vanishes in the continuum limit.

math.NA↗

arXiv2023

Singularities in $L^1$-supercritical Fokker-Planck equations: A qualitative analysis

A class of nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with superlinear drift is investigated in the $L^1$-supercritical regime, which exhibits a finite critical mass. The equations have a formal Wasserstein-like gradient-flow structure with a convex mobility and a free energy functional whose minimising measure has a singular component if above the critical mass. Singularities and concentrations also arise in the evolutionary problem and their finite-time appearance constitutes a primary technical difficulty. This paper aims at a global-in-time qualitative analysis with main focus on the isotropic case, where solutions will be shown to converge to the unique minimiser of the free energy as time tends to infinity. A key step in the analysis consists in properly controlling the singularity profiles during the evolution. Our study covers the 3D Kaniadakis--Quarati model for Bose--Einstein particles, and thus provides a first rigorous result on the continuation beyond blow-up and long-time asymptotic behaviour for this model.

math.AP↗

arXiv2022

Hyperbolic-parabolic normal form and local classical solutions for cross-diffusion systems with incomplete diffusion

We investigate degenerate cross-diffusion equations with a rank-deficient diffusion matrix that are considered to model populations which move as to avoid spatial crowding and have recently been found to arise in a mean-field limit of interacting stochastic particle systems. To date, their analysis in multiple space dimensions has been confined to the purely convective case with equal mobility coefficients. In this article, we introduce a normal form for an entropic class of such equations which reveals their structure of a symmetric hyperbolic--parabolic system. Due to the state-dependence of the range and kernel of the singular diffusive matrix, our way of rewriting the equations is different from that classically used for symmetric second-order systems with a nullspace invariance property. By means of this change of variables, we solve the Cauchy problem for short times and positive initial data in $H^s(\mathbb{T}^d)$ for $s>d/2+1$.

math.AP↗

arXiv2022

On multi-species diffusion with size exclusion

We revisit a classical continuum model for the diffusion of multiple species with size-exclusion constraint, which leads to a degenerate nonlinear cross-diffusion system. The purpose of this article is twofold: first, it aims at a systematic study of the question of existence of weak solutions and their long-time asymptotic behaviour. Second, it provides a weak-strong stability estimate for a wide range of coefficients, which had been missing so far. In order to achieve the results mentioned above, we exploit the formal gradient-flow structure of the model with respect to a logarithmic entropy, which leads to best estimates in the full-interaction case, where all cross-diffusion coefficients are non-zero. Those are crucial to obtain the minimal Sobolev regularity needed for a weak-strong stability result. For meaningful cases when some of the coefficients vanish, we provide a novel existence result based on approximation by the full-interaction case.

math.AP↗

arXiv2022

Weak-strong uniqueness for energy-reaction-diffusion systems

We establish weak-strong uniqueness and stability properties of renormalised solutions to a class of energy-reaction-diffusion systems. The systems considered are motivated by thermodynamically consistent models, and their formal entropy structure allows us to use as a key tool a suitably adjusted relative entropy method. The weak-strong uniqueness principle holds for dissipative renormalised solutions, which in addition to the renormalised formulation obey suitable dissipation inequalities consistent with previous existence results. We treat general entropy-dissipating reactions without growth restrictions, and certain models with a non-integrable diffusive flux. The results also apply to a class of (isoenergetic) reaction-cross-diffusion systems.

math.AP↗

arXiv2021

Weak-strong uniqueness and energy-variational solutions for a class of viscoelastoplastic fluid models

We study a model for a fluid showing viscoelastic and viscoplastic behavior, which describes the flow in terms of the fluid velocity and an internal stress. This stress tensor is transported via the Zaremba--Jaumann rate, and it is subject to two dissipation processes: one induced by a nonsmooth convex potential and one by stress diffusion. We show short-time existence of strong solutions as well as their uniqueness in a class of Leray--Hopf type weak solutions satisfying the tensorial component in the sense of an evolutionary variational inequality. The global-in-time existence of such generalized solutions has been established in a previous work. We further study the limit when stress diffusion vanishes. In this case, the above notion of generalized solutions is no longer suitable, and we introduce the concept of energy-variational solutions, which is based on an inequality for the relative energy. We derive general properties of energy-variational solutions and show their existence by passing to the non-diffusive limit in the relative energy inequality satisfied by generalized solutions for non-zero stress diffusion.

math.AP↗

arXiv2021

Leray-Hopf solutions to a viscoelastoplastic fluid model with nonsmooth stress-strain relation

We consider a fluid model including viscoelastic and viscoplastic effects. The state is given by the fluid velocity and an internal stress tensor that is transported along the flow with the Zaremba-Jaumann derivative. Moreover, the stress tensor obeys a nonlinear and nonsmooth dissipation law as well as stress diffusion. We prove the existence of global-in-time weak solutions satisfying an energy inequality under general Dirichlet conditions for the velocity field and Neumann conditions for the stress tensor.

math.AP↗

arXiv2021

Global existence analysis of energy-reaction-diffusion systems

We establish global-in-time existence results for thermodynamically consistent reaction-(cross-)diffusion systems coupled to an equation describing heat transfer. Our main interest is to model species-dependent diffusivities, while at the same time ensuring thermodynamic consistency. A key difficulty of the non-isothermal case lies in the intrinsic presence of cross-diffusion type phenomena like the Soret and the Dufour effect: due to the temperature/energy dependence of the thermodynamic equilibria, a nonvanishing temperature gradient may drive a concentration flux even in a situation with constant concentrations; likewise, a nonvanishing concentration gradient may drive a heat flux even in a case of spatially constant temperature. We use time discretisation and regularisation techniques and derive a priori estimates based on a suitable entropy and the associated entropy production. Renormalised solutions are used in cases where non-integrable diffusion fluxes or reaction terms appear.

math.AP↗

arXiv2020

Numerical study of Bose-Einstein condensation in the Kaniadakis-Quarati model for bosons

Kaniadakis and Quarati (1994) proposed a Fokker--Planck equation with quadratic drift as a PDE model for the dynamics of bosons in the spatially homogeneous setting. It is an open question whether this equation has solutions exhibiting condensates in finite time. The main analytical challenge lies in the continuation of exploding solutions beyond their first blow-up time while having a linear diffusion term. We present a thoroughly validated time-implicit numerical scheme capable of simulating solutions for arbitrarily large time, and thus enabling a numerical study of the condensation process in the Kaniadakis--Quarati model. We show strong numerical evidence that above the critical mass rotationally symmetric solutions of the Kaniadakis--Quarati model in 3D form a condensate in finite time and converge in entropy to the unique minimiser of the natural entropy functional at an exponential rate. Our simulations further indicate that the spatial blow-up profile near the origin follows a universal power law and that transient condensates can occur for sufficiently concentrated initial data.

math.NA↗

arXiv2019

On the singularity formation and relaxation to equilibrium in 1D Fokker-Planck model with superlinear drift

We consider a class of Fokker--Planck equations with linear diffusion and superlinear drift enjoying a formal Wasserstein-like gradient flow structure with convex mobility function. In the drift-dominant regime, the equations have a finite critical mass above which the measure minimising the associated entropy functional displays a singular component. Our approach, which addresses the one-dimensional case, is based on a reformulation of the problem in terms of the pseudo-inverse distribution function. Motivated by the structure of the equation in the new variables, we establish a general framework for global-in-time existence, uniqueness and regularity of monotonic viscosity solutions to a class of nonlinear degenerate (resp. singular) parabolic equations, using as a key tool comparison principles and maximum arguments. We then focus on a specific equation and study in more detail the regularity and dynamics of solutions. In particular, blow-up behaviour, formation of condensates (i.e. Dirac measures at zero) and long-time asymptotics are investigated. As a consequence, in the mass-supercritical case, solutions will blow up in $L^\infty$ in finite time and---understood in a generalised, measure sense---they will eventually have condensate. We further show that the singular part of the measure solution does in general interact with the density and that condensates can be transient. The equations considered are motivated by a model for bosons introduced by Kaniadakis and Quarati (1994), which has a similar entropy structure and a critical mass if $d\ge3$.

math.AP↗

arXiv2017

Aggregation equations with fractional diffusion: preventing concentration by mixing

We investigate a class of aggregation-diffusion equations with strongly singular kernels and weak (fractional) dissipation in the presence of an incompressible flow. Without the flow the equations are supercritical in the sense that the tendency to concentrate dominates the strength of diffusion and solutions emanating from sufficiently localised initial data may explode in finite time. The main purpose of this paper is to show that under suitable spectral conditions on the flow, which guarantee good mixing properties, for any regular initial datum the solution to the corresponding advection-aggregation-diffusion equation is global if the prescribed flow is sufficiently fast. This paper can be seen as a partial extension of Kiselev and Xu (Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal. 222(2), 2016), and our arguments show in particular that the suppression mechanism for the classical 2D parabolic-elliptic Keller-Segel model devised by Kiselev and Xu also applies to the fractional Keller-Segel model (where $\triangle$ is replaced by $-Λ^γ$) requiring only that $γ>1$. In addition, we remove the restriction to dimension $d<4$.

math.AP↗