Asymptotic behaviour for a phase-field system with hysteresis (Q5946977)

The authors consider the following phase-field system \[ \begin{aligned} \mu(\theta)w_t+f_1[w] + \theta f_2[w] & = 0\text{ in }\Omega\times (0, \infty),\\ (\theta+F_1[w])_t-\Delta\theta & = 0\text{ in }\Omega\times (0,\infty)\end{aligned} \] together with initial conditions for \(\theta\), \(w\) and a Neumann boundary condition for \(\theta\). Here, \(\Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^n\) is a bounded domain, \(\mu\) a positive function and \(f_1,f_2,F_1\) denote hysteresis operators. While the unique global solvability of the above system has been proved by the first two authors in a series of papers, the main result of this work is concerned with the long time behaviour of the solution. Setting \[ E_1(t):=\tfrac 12 \int_\Omega|\nabla\theta (x,t)|^2 dx,\quad E_2(t):= \tfrac 12\int_\Omega w_t(x,t)g[w]_t(x,t) dx \] (where \(g\) is also an hysteresis operator), it is shown that \[ \int^\infty_0(E_1(t) + E_2(t)) dt<\infty, \] and as a consequence \(\lim_{t\to\infty}E_1 (t) = 0\), \(\lim_{t\to \infty}\text{ess sup}\{E_2(s) |s > t\} = 0\). The main ingredient of the proof is a uniform \(L^\infty\)-estimate for \(\theta\), which is obtained by means of a variant of the Moser iteration.