Linear asymptotic stability of the equilibrium state for the 2-D MEP hydrodynamical model of charge transport in semiconductors (Q2499636)

The article addresses a two-dimensional boundary-initial value problem modeling charge transport in semiconductors. The governing equations consist of the balance equations of density, momentum, energy and energy flux of electrons, closed by use of the maximum entropy principle. The authors show that, under appropriate assumptions, the stationary solution of the boundary-initial value problem (global thermodynamical equilibrium) is given as solution of a boundary value problem for a nonlinear Poisson equation. The linearization of the balance equations about this stationary solution forms a symmetric hyperbolic system. For the associated linear boundary-initial value problem the authors derive a global a priori estimate in terms of a decaying exponential, thus proving linear asymptotic stability of the equilibrium. This estimate rests on a smallness assumption for the doping density.