Asymptotic analyses and error estimates for a Cahn-Hilliard type phase field system modelling tumor growth (Q501552)

This paper deals with the tumor model \[ \begin{aligned} \alpha \partial_t \mu + \partial_t \varphi - \Delta \mu &= p(\varphi) (\sigma-\gamma\mu)\\ \mu &= \beta \partial_t \varphi - \Delta \varphi + F'(\varphi)\\ \partial_t \sigma -\Delta \sigma &= -p(\varphi)(\sigma-\gamma\mu) \end{aligned} \] in a bounded, smooth, spatially three-dimensional domain, where the functions \(\varphi\), \(\mu\), \(\sigma\) signify presence of tumor (\(\varphi=1\)) or healthy cells (\(\varphi=-1\)), nutrient concentration (\(\sigma\)) or a chemical potential (\(\mu\)). Here, \(\alpha\), \(\beta\), \(\gamma\) are positive constants, \(p\) is a nonnegative function and \(F\) a nonnegative double-well potential. Continuing the study of [the last author et al., Nonlinear Anal., Real World Appl. 26, 93--108 (2015; Zbl 1334.35097)], where the limit \((\alpha,\beta)\to (0,0)\) was considered, now the limits \(\beta\to 0\) for small, fixed \(\alpha\), and \(\alpha\to 0\) for fixed \(\beta\in(0,1)\) are investigated. In both cases, it is shown that the solutions converge to the (unique) solutions of the corresponding limit problems. Error estimates are given.