On \(L^1\)-summability and asymptotic profiles for smooth solutions to Navier-Stokes equations in a 3D exterior domain (Q1416686)

The initial-boundary value problem for the Navier-Stokes equations \[ \begin{alignedat}{2} & \partial_tu-\Delta u+ u\cdot\nabla u= -\nabla p &&\quad\text{in }\Omega\times (0,\infty),\\ & \nabla\cdot u= 0 &&\quad\text{in }\Omega\times (0,\infty),\\ & u= 0 &&\quad\text{on }\partial\Omega\times (0,\infty),\tag{1}\\ & u\to 0 &&\quad\text{as }| x|\to\infty,\\ & u(x,0)= a(x) &&\quad\text{in }\Omega,\end{alignedat} \] in an exterior domain \(\Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^3\) with smooth boundary \(\partial\Omega\) is considered. The \(L^1\)-summability for strong solutions to (1) is established in the case where the domain \(\Omega\) and the initial data satisfy certain symmetry conditions. This is then applied to show that such solutions decay in time more rapidly than observed in general. Finally an asymptotic expansion for these \(L^1\)-solutions is derived and a lower bound estimate of rates of time-decay of solutions is deduced.