A non-stationary multi-scale oscillating free boundary for the Laplace and heat equations (Q1361822)

The paper is concerned with a free boundary value problem for the Laplace and heat equations. A part of the boundary varies in time and is rapidly oscillating in space at each time. The existence and uniqueness of the solution as well as its time asymptotics are established. Precisely speaking the problem under consideration is of the form: \[ \Delta u_\varepsilon=0\quad \text{ in}\quad \Omega_\varepsilon(t),\tag{1} \] where \(\Omega_\varepsilon(t)=\{x=(x_1, x_2): -a<x_1<a, \quad\varepsilon f_\varepsilon(x, t)<x_2<b\}\). The boundary condition on \(\Gamma_\varepsilon(t)= \{x_2=\varepsilon f_\varepsilon(x_1, t), -a<x_1<a\}\) is given by \[ {\partial\over\partial \nu_\varepsilon}u_\varepsilon+pu_\varepsilon=0 \quad \text{ on}\quad\Gamma_\varepsilon(t), \] where \(p\) is ``fast'' oscillating, depending on the small parameter \(\varepsilon\), \(\varepsilon>0\). The equation of continuity at the moving boundary is assumed, too: \[ \varepsilon{{\partial u_\varepsilon} \over{\partial\nu_\varepsilon}}= V_N\quad\text{ on}\quad\Gamma_\varepsilon(t), \] where \(V_N\) is the outward normal velocity of the free boundary \(\Gamma_\varepsilon(t)\). The conditions on the other parts of the boundary and an initial condition complete the formulation: \[ u_\varepsilon=g\quad\text{ on}\quad x_2=b, \qquad {\partial\over\partial x_1}u_\varepsilon(\pm a, x_2, t)=0, \qquad f_\varepsilon(x_1, 0)=f_0. \] The elliptic equation (1) may be replaced by the parabolic equation as well: \[ {{\partial u_\varepsilon}\over{\partial t}}= \Delta u_\varepsilon \quad\text{ in}\quad \bigcup_{0<t<T} \left(\Omega_\varepsilon(t)\times\{t\}\right) \] with initial data \(u_\varepsilon(x, 0)=q(x)\) \((q(x)\geq 0)\). Such a problem arises in growing semiconductor film taking into account the fact that the surface of the film is changing in time by chemical vapour deposition, or by etching.