Two Stefan problems for a non-classical heat equation with nonlinear thermal coefficients. (Q2341784)

Two one-dimensional non-classical Stefan problems are investigated. The governing equations common to both problems are, \(t>0\), \(\rho(T)c(T)T_t=(k(T)T_x)_x-F(T(0,t),T_x(0,t),t)\) for \(0<x<s(t)\), \(T(s(t),t) = T_m\), \(k(T(s(t),t))T_x(s(t),t)=-\rho_0 l\dot s(t)\), \(s(0)=0\). Since the notation is very standard, it could be skipped perhaps with one possible exception: \(F\) represents the control function. This control function -- along with the boundary condition at \(x=0\) -- depends on the problem studied. For the first problem, the boundary condition is \(T(0,t)=T_b\), \(T_b>T_m\) and the control function has the form \(F(T(0,t),T_x(0,t),t)={\lambda_0\over \sqrt{t}}T_x(0,t)\). For the second problem, the boundary condition is \(k(T(0,t))T_x(0,t)={-q_0\over \sqrt{t}}\) and the control function has the form \(F(T(0,t),T_x(0,t),t)={\lambda_0\over t}T(0,t)\). Since the existence of a similarity-type solution is investigated in both problems, the above equations are reduced to respective relations for functions of one variable \(\eta ={x\over 2\sqrt{\alpha_0 t}}\), \(\alpha_0\) a positive constant. Existence theorems for both problems are proved.