Global classical solution of free boundary problem for a coupled system. (Q1812216)

The authors study the following free boundary problem: \[ \Delta u=Q_1,\quad 0<y<g(x,t),\;t>0, \] \[ \Delta Q_1-Q_1=0,\quad 0<y<g(x,t),\;t>0, \] \[ \Delta Q_2 =0, \quad y<g(x,t),\;t>0, \] \[ u=0,\quad y=g(x,t), \] \[ V_n=-\partial_n u-\beta,\quad y=g(x,t), \] \[ Q_1 =Q_2,\quad y=g(x,t), \] \[ g(x,0)=g_0(x), \] \[ \partial_y Q_1 (x,0,t)=h_1(x,t),\quad t\geq 0, \] \[ \partial_y u(x,0,t)=h(x,t),\quad t\geq 0, \] \[ Q_2 \to r>0\quad\text{as } | x| +y\to +\infty. \] which is meant to describe the quasi-steady evolution of a protocell occupying the domain \(0<y<g(x,t)\) in \(\mathbb{R}^2\). Here \(u\) denotes the concentration of cell-building materials, \(Q_1, Q_2\) the concentrations of a nutrient (inside and outside the protocell). The free boundary is the graph \(y=g(x,t), n\) is the unit normal pointing to \(y>g, V_n\) is the normal velocity of the free boundary. In a previous paper the same authors proved a local existence theorem for the more general problem in which in the equation for \(u\) the Laplacian is replaced by the heat operator \(\Delta -\frac{\partial}{\partial t}\). Here global existence and uniqueness are shown under suitable assumptions on the initial and boundary data \(g_0, h_1, h\). The 2-D setting is just for simplifying exposition, but the result is valid for any dimensions. The proof is based on a fixed point argument. As remarked by the authors, the problem generalizes the quasi-steady Stefan problem.