Sufficient and/or necessary condition for the heat transfer coefficient on \(\Gamma _ 1\) and the heat flux on \(\Gamma _ 2\) to obtain a steady- state two-phase Stefan problem (Q1824117)

The purpose of this paper is to study a question concerning sufficient and necessary condition for the heat transfer coefficient on \(\Gamma_ 1\) and the heat flux on \(\Gamma_ 2\) to obtain a steady-state two-phase Stefan problem. The authors establish properties of the solutions obtained and investigate methods of obtaining a steady-state two-phase Stefan problem in \(\Omega\). The method employed in this paper is the elliptic variational inequality theory. The bilinear forms are coercive on V(\(\Omega)\). In this paper a Newton law with coefficient \(\alpha >0\) on \(\Gamma_ 1\) with a temperature \(b=const>0\) and an outcoming heat flux \(q=const>0\) on \(\Gamma_ 2\) is considered. An important and very useful tool is the study of a mixed boundary value problem for the Laplace equation with the object of deciding when it exhibits a solution of nonconstant sign in \(\Omega\) (the problem with \(\alpha\) and q as independent variables). Illustrative numerical examples for \(\Omega \subset R^ 2\) (or \(\Omega \subset R^ 3)\) are given.