On quenching of solutions for some semilinear parabolic equations of second order (Q1971669)

The author treats two quenching problems \[ u_t= Lu+ f(u)\quad\text{in }Q_T,\quad \mu u_N+ (1- \mu)u\quad\text{in }\Gamma_T,\quad u(x,0)= u_0(x)\quad\text{in }\Omega,\tag{I} \] \[ u_t= Lu\quad\text{in }Q_T,\quad u_N= g(u)\quad\text{in }\Gamma_T,\quad u(x,0)= u_*(x)\quad\text{in }\Omega.\tag{II} \] Here \(\Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^n\) is a bounded domain with smooth boundary \(\Gamma\), \(Q_T= \Omega\times (0,T)\), \(\Gamma_T= \Gamma\times (0,T)\); \(L\) is a linear second-order elliptic operator, \(N\) the conormal; \(f(s)\), \(g(s)\) are positive and increasing in \([0,b)\), \(f(b-)= g(b-)= \infty\), \(u_0, u_*\geq 0\), \(\sup u_0= M< b\), \(\sup u_*= M'< b\). Quenching at time \(T_0\) means \(\sup_\Omega u(x,t)\to b\) as \(t\to T_0\). Main result: Let \(w(x)\) be the solution of \(Lw+ 1=0\) in \(\Omega\), \(\mu w_N+ (1-\mu)w=0\) on \(\Gamma\), and \(w_0= \sup w(x)\). Then the unique solution \(u\) of (I) quenches in finite time if \(w_0\geq J= \int^b_0 ds/f(s)\), and exists globally and has an upper bound \(<b\) if \(w_0\leq F= \sup\{s/f(M+ s): 0< s< b-M\}\). Examples: For \(f(s)= (b- s)^{-p}\) with \(p> 0\) one has \(J= b^{p+1}/(p+ 1)\) and \(F= (b-M)^{p+ 1}p^p/(p+ 1)^{p+1}\). In case \(L= \Delta\) one has: If \(\Omega\) contains a ball of radius \(R\), then \(R^2> 2nJ\) implies quenching. If \(|\Omega|\leq (2nF)^{n/2} \omega_n\), where \(\omega_n\) is the volume of the unit sphere, then the solution \(u\) of (I) with \(\mu= 0\) exists globally. This precises some results of \textit{A. Acker} and \textit{W. Walter} [Nonlinear Anal., Theory, Methods, Appl. 2, 499-504 (1978; Zbl 0378.35003)]. There are results on the asymptotic behaviour near quenching time \(T_0\) and on the quenching set.