Volume effects in the Keller--Segel model: energy estimates preventing blow-up (Q869111)

The generalized Smoluchowski-Poisson system (also referred to as the simplified Patlak-Keller-Segel chemotaxis model) reads \[ \partial_t n + \nabla \left( - n \nabla h(n) + \chi n \nabla c \right)=0\,, \qquad -\Delta c = n - \langle n \rangle \,, \] in \((0,T)\times\Omega\) and is supplemented with homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions for \(n\) and \(c\) and the condition \(\langle c \rangle=0\). Here, \(\Omega\) is a bounded and connected open subset of \({\mathbb R}^2\) with \(C^2\)-smooth boundary, \(\langle n \rangle\) and \(\langle c \rangle\) denote the mean value of \(n\) and \(c\), respectively, and \(\chi\) is a positive real number. Owing to the boundary conditions, one has \(\langle n(t) \rangle=\langle n(0) \rangle=M>0\) for \(t\geq 0\). It is well-known now that, if \(h(n)=\log{n}\) (linear diffusion), global solutions only exist for small values of \(M\) while all solutions blow up in a finite time for large values of \(M\). A natural question is then to figure out the influence of a more general diffusion on this phenomenon. More precisely, assuming that \(h\in C^1((0,\infty))\) is an increasing function with \(h(1)=0\), the condition \(h(r)\geq \kappa\;\log{r}\) for some \(\kappa>(\chi M)/(4\pi)\) and \(r\) large is shown to guarantee the existence of global solutions. The proof relies on precise functional inequalities and free energy estimates. Similar results are established when \(\Omega={\mathbb R}^2\) and \(c\) solves Poisson's equation, the threshold value for \(\kappa\) being \(\kappa>(\chi M)/(8\pi)\). Additional difficulties are encountered due to the unboundedness of \(\Omega\) requiring in particular to handle separately the case \(h(0)>-\infty\) (slow diffusion) and \(h(0)=-\infty\) (fast diffusion). The case where \(\chi=\chi(n)\) is a non-negative function of \(n\) is also considered.