On the existence of convex classical solutions to a generalized Prandtl-Batchelor free boundary problem (Q1379500)

This is a complex analysis of the so-called Prandtl-Batchelor problem in \(\mathbb{R}^N\). The classical statement of the problem is the following. Given a bounded, convex domain \(G\) with \(\partial G\in C^2\), find a convex \(N-1\) dimensional surface \(\Gamma\) dividing \(G\) into two subsets \(\Omega^+\), \(\Omega^- (\partial \Omega^+ \supset \partial G)\), such that \[ \bigl| \nabla U-(x) \bigr|^2 =\bigl| \nabla U^+ (x)\bigr |^2 +a^2(x),\;\nabla x\in \Gamma, \] where \(a\) is a real function defined on \(\overline G\) such that \(1/a\) is concave, and the two functions \(U^+\), \(U^-\) solve the problems \[ \Delta U^-+P_0= 0 \text{ in } \Omega^-,\;U^-= 0\text{ on }\Gamma, \quad \Delta U^+ =0 \text{ in } \Omega^+,\;U^+ =0 \text{ on } \Gamma,\;U^+ =1\text{ on } \partial G. \] The physical interpretation is the determination of the interface bounding a flow of given vorticity embedded in a potential flow. Although there are some geometrical restrictions and existence is proved for sufficiently large \(P_0\), this paper provides the first existence result for such a problem. The existence result is stated in a somehow indirect way: if there exists \(\Gamma\) such that \[ F (\Gamma) =\int_{\Omega^-} (a^2-P_0 U^-)dx +\int_{\Omega^+} |\nabla U^+ |^2 dx<0 \] then the problem above has a solution. Such a result implies existence of a solution for sufficiently large \(P_0\). The proof is based on the study of the minimization of the functional \(F(\Gamma)\) using a method introduced long ago by the same author for the solution of other free boundary problems for the Laplace equation. The method provides a solution satisfying an interface condition in a weak sense. Then a regularity theorem shows its pointwise validity.