\(L^ 2\)-decay for Navier-Stokes flows in unbounded domains, with application to exterior stationary flows (Q1194074)

Recently the authors [Math. Ann. 282, No. 1, 139-155 (1988; Zbl 0652.35096), Acta Math. 165, No. 3/4, 189-227 (1990; Zbl 0722.35014); see also \textit{R. Kajikiya} and the second author, Math. Z. 192, 135-148 (1986; Zbl 0607.35072)] have developed methods to study the large-time behavior of solutions to the Navier-Stokes initial value problem, especially to prove the existence of a weak solution, which goes to zero in the space \(L^ 2\) as the time goes to infinity. Here the method is modified so that it applies to the case of an arbitrary unbounded domain in \(R^ n\), \(n=4\), and it yields explicit rates for increasing time. Special attention is given to characterize the class of initial values satisfying the assumptions. Because the problem of \(L^ 2\)-decay of a Navier-Stokes flow is closely connected with the notion of energy stability in viscous fluid motions, the authors prove, that an exterior stationary flow is globally asymptotically stable in the energy sense provided that the associated Reynolds number is small. This supplements known results, for instance those due to \textit{J. G. Heywood} [Indiana Univ. Math. J. 29, 639-681 (1980; Zbl 0494.35077)].