A free boundary problem for capillary surfaces (Q1201418): Difference between revisions
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English | A free boundary problem for capillary surfaces |
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A free boundary problem for capillary surfaces (English)
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17 January 1993
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The author considers the problem of minimizing a functional \({\mathcal F}(E)\) defined on open subsets \(E\) of \(\mathbb{R}^ n\) lying between two parallel hyperplanes, which in the 3-dimensional case represents the energy of a liquid drop of constant density trapped between two horizontal planes, where the energy includes surface tension, wetting energy at the planes, and gravitational energy. It is shown that a rotationally symmetric minimizing set \(E_ 0\) exists. The regularity of \(E_ 0\) is described in terms of the function \(\rho_{E_ 0}\) giving the radius of the cross section of \(E_ 0\) as a function of the height above the lower of the two hyperplanes. As long as the radius of the contact set with both hyperplanes is positive, it is shown that \(\rho_{E_ 0}\) is the restriction of an analytic function to a closed interval. Finally, stability is considered in the gravity free case.
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capillary surface
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energy of a liquid drop of constant density
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surface tension
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wetting energy
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gravitational energy
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stability
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