On melting and freezing for the 2D radial Stefan problem (Q2009214)

The paper deals with the melting dynamics and the freezing dynamics for the two-dimensional free boundary Stefan problem \[\left\{\begin{array}{l}u_t-u_{rr}-\frac{1}{r}u_r=0,\text{ in }\Omega(t),\\ u_r(t,\lambda(t))=-\dot\lambda(t),\\ u(t,\lambda(t))=0,\\ u(0,\cdot)=u_0,\,\,\,\lambda(0)=\lambda_0,\end{array}\right.\tag{1}\] where \(\Omega(t)=\{x\in\mathbb{R}^2,\,\,\,|x|\ge \lambda(t)\}\). The authors prove the existence and stability of a discrete sequence of melting rates with \(k\) nonlinear instability directions \((k\in\mathbb{N}\)) for problem \((1)\). They also construct the freezing solutions of \((1)\) (that is, \(\dot\lambda>0\)) which asymptotically converge to a steady state (\(u=0,\,\,\lambda={\text const.}>0\)).