The \(\Gamma\)-limit of the two-dimensional Ohta-Kawasaki energy. Droplet arrangement via the renormalized energy (Q2453972)

The article focuses on \(\Gamma\)-convergence for the two dimensional Ohta-Kawasaki energy functional associated with diblock copolymer systems. The authors study a sharp interface version of this energy where \(\epsilon\), the parameter characterizing the interfacial thickness, tends to \(0\) in the regime where one of the phases has a very small volume fraction. Small droplets of the minority phase is created in the regime as a result. In this article, the authors devote their efforts to analysis of sharp interface energy that is equivalent to the energy functional. In a previous work, the authors studied the behavior of the energy and established the leading order term in the \(\Gamma\)-expansion of the energy. In this work, the authors establish results concerning the \(\Gamma\)-limit of the next order term in the energy after the zeroth order energy derived in the previous work is subtracted off. Detailed sketch of the proof is given. A lower bound for the next order energy via an energy expansion is carried out. Ball construction technique is used to obtain lower bounds on the energy. Explicit lower bounds were obtained for the energy density on bounded sets in the plane. Multi-parameter ergodic theorem is used to extend the lower bounds obtained to global bounds. Corresponding upper bound is presented at the end of the article.