Global solution of a two phase free boundary problem (Q1385109)

The problem studied is a nontrivial generalization of the classical two phase Stefan problem in one space dimension describing some transport phenomena in polymers. A heat conduction equation is satisfied in each phase and the interface conditions are of the form \[ u_{1x}= \alpha(u_1, u_{2x}),\quad u_2= 0,\quad \dot s= \beta(u_1, u_{2x}), \] \(u_i\) being the unknowns in each phase and \(x= s(t)\) the equation of the interface. Note that \(u_1\), \(u_2\) need not match at the free boundary. The paper provides two main results. (i) A general existence and uniqueness theorem for sufficiently small time interval. (ii) A theorem specifying sufficient conditions for continuation to infinity or to the extinction time of one of the phases. The proofs require a number of estimates obtained by means of the classical theory of heat potentials.