On singularity formation in a Hele-Shaw model (Q1989922)

The authors consider a lubrication approximation model of the interface between two immiscible fluids in a Hele-Shaw cell, consisting of the equation for the thickness \(2h = 2h(x; t)\) of a thin neck of fluid \(\partial_th+\partial_x(h\partial_x^3h)=0\), \(x\in(-1,1)\), \(t\geq 0\), together with the boundary conditions \(h(\pm 1,t)=1\), \(\partial_x^2h(\pm 1,t)= P> 0\). As long as \(h(x,t)>0\), no singularity can arise in the solution. As a consequence, for any \(P>2\) and any smooth and positive initial datum, it is proved that the solution pinches off in either finite or infinite time, i.e., \(\inf_{[-1,1]\times [0;T^\ast)} h = 0\) for some \(T^\ast (0,\infty]\). These facts have been long anticipated on the basis of numerical studies.