Spectral dynamics of the velocity gradient field in restricted flows (Q1849334)

Given the equation \[ \partial _t u +u\cdot\nabla u=F \tag{1} \] for the velocity field \(u(t,x),\) \(x\in\mathbb{R}^n\), \(u\in\mathbb{R}^n\), it follows that the spectral dynamics equation \[ \partial _t\lambda +u\cdot\nabla \lambda +\lambda ^2 =\langle l,\nabla F r\rangle \tag{2} \] is a consequence, where \(\lambda (\nabla u)\) is an eigenvalue of the matrix \(M=\nabla u\) and \(r(\nabla u)\), and \(l(\nabla u)\) are the corresponding right and left eigenvectors of \(M\). Four applications are given. The linear damping is the case when \(F=Cu\), where \(C\) is a constant matrix. Equation (2) becomes \[ \partial_t\lambda +u\cdot\nabla \lambda +\lambda ^2 =c(t)\lambda ,\quad c=l\cdot Cr . \] Particularly, when \(C=-\beta I\), \(0<\beta =\text{const}\), it can be decided clearly whether the solution is globally smooth or admits a finite time breakdown. The answer depends on initial data, a critical threshold phenomenon. When \(F=\nu\Delta u\), equation (1) describes the viscous dusty medium flow. In this case equation (2) reads \[ \partial _t\lambda +u\cdot\nabla \lambda +\lambda ^2 =\nu\Delta \lambda+Q . \] It is then used to obtain the a priori estimate \(\|u(\cdot ,t)\|_{BV (\mathbb{R}^2)}\leq c\) uniformly in \(\nu\) provided that the two-dimensional velocity field is vortex free. As a consequence, the vanishing viscosity limit is justified. The restricted Euler/Navier-Stokes equations \[ \partial _t M +u\cdot\nabla M+M^2 =\tfrac{1}{n}\text{ tr}(M^2) I \] arise if one differentiates Navier-Stokes equations and substitutes the pressure term \(\nabla\otimes\nabla p\) by \(\frac{1}{n}\text{tr}(M^2) I\). The corresponding spectral dynamics system is \[ \lambda _i ^{'} +\lambda _i ^2 =\sum\limits_{1}^{n}\frac{\lambda _k ^2}{n},\quad i=1,\cdots,n, \eqno(3) \] where \('\) stands for material derivative. \([n/2]+1\) first integrals are found for the system (3), and singularity analysis is performed leading to the conclusion that the solution may break down at finite time. The fourth prototype model associates with Euler-Poisson equations \[ \partial _t \rho +\nabla\cdot {\rho u}=0, \] \[ \partial _t (\rho u)+\nabla\cdot {\rho u\otimes u}=k\rho \nabla \Phi,\quad \Delta \Phi =\rho . \] A restricted Euler-Poisson system is proposed with the spectral dynamics equations \[ \partial _t \rho +u\cdot\nabla\rho +\rho\sum\limits_{1}^{n}\lambda _j =0, \] \[ \partial _t \lambda _i +u\cdot\nabla \lambda _i +\lambda _i ^2 =\frac{k\rho}{n}, \] which serve to conclude that the solution may break down at finite time.