On stability of Navier-Stokes flows in exterior domains (Q1805339)

The authors prove that a solution \(w\) to the stationary Navier-Stokes equations with \(|w|_{L_n} + |\Delta w |_{L_{n/2}}\) small is stable in the sense that the corresponding nonstationary solution \(v\) with initial data \(w+a\), \(a\) small, tends to \(w\) as \(t\to \infty\); furthermore precise decay rates in \(L_r\) are given. The proof rests on \(L_p - L_r\)-estimates for the semigroup that is generated by the Stokes operator and a perturbation of the first order. As this generator has nonconstant coefficients, known methods for proving \(L_p - L_r\)-estimates do not apply immeadiately. The authors first get the estimates under the restriction \(r \in (1, {n\over 2})\), and introduce a type of solution that is adapted to this condition; they finally show that this solution coincides with the strong solution which gives the result.