Global weak solutions in a three-dimensional Keller-Segel-Navier-Stokes system with indirect signal production (Q2152763)

In this paper, the authors considered the following Keller-Segel-Navier-Stokes model with indirect signal production \[ n_t+u\cdot\nabla n=\Delta n^m-\nabla\cdot(nS(x,n,v,w)\cdot\nabla v),\quad x\in\Omega,t>0, \] \[ v_t+u\cdot\nabla v=\Delta v-v+w,\quad x\in\Omega,t>0, \] \[ w_t+u\cdot\nabla w=\Delta w-w+n,\quad x\in\Omega,t>0, \] \[ u_t+(u\cdot\nabla)u=\Delta u-\nabla P+n\nabla\phi,\qquad \nabla\cdot u=0,\quad x\in\Omega,t>0, \] \[ (\nabla n^m-nS(x,n,v,w)\cdot\nabla v)\cdot\nu=\nabla v\cdot\nu=\nabla w\cdot\nu=0,\quad u=0,\quad,x\in\partial\Omega,t>0, \] \[ n(x,0)=n_0(x),v(x,0)=v_0(x),w(x,0)=w_0(x),u(x,0)=u_0(x),\quad x\in\Omega \] in a bounded domain \(\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^3\) with smooth boundary \(\partial\Omega\), where \(m > 0\) is a constant, \(\nu\) denotes the outward normal vector on \(\partial\Omega\), the unknown variables \(n = n(x, t)\), \(v = v(x, t), w = w(x, t),u = u(x, t)\) and \(P = P(x, t)\) represent the density of cells (or bacteria), concentration of signal, concentration of chemical and fluid velocity field and pressure of the fluid, respectively; the term \(n\nabla\phi\) characterizes that the motion of fluid is assumed to be driven by buoyant forces within the gravitational field with potential \(\phi\). The tensor-valued sensitivity \(S :\bar\Omega\times [0,\infty)^2\rightarrow\mathbb{R}^{3\times3}\) is given smooth function such that \(|S(x, n, v, w)| \le C_S(1 + n)^{-\alpha}\) for all \((x, n, v, w)\in\bar\Omega\times [0,\infty)^3\) with some \(C_S > 0\) and \(\alpha\ge0\). It is shown that under the conditions \(m \ge\frac13\), \(\alpha\ge0\) and \(m +\alpha\ge\frac43\) and proper regularity assumptions on the initial data, the associated initial-boundary value problem possesses at least one global weak solution. The result rigorously confirms that the indirect signal production mechanism authentically contributes to the global solvability of the three-dimensional Keller-Segel-Navier-Stokes system with nonlinear diffusion and tensor-valued sensitivity.