The scaling hypothesis for Smoluchowski's coagulation equation with bounded perturbations of the constant kernel (Q2208445)

When the coagulation kernel \(K\) is homogeneous with a degree strictly smaller than one, it is expected that solutions to the coagulation equation \[ \partial_\tau \phi(\tau,\xi) = \frac{1}{2} \int_0^\xi K(\xi-\eta,\eta) \phi(\tau,\xi-\eta) \phi(\tau,\eta)\ d\eta - \int_0^\infty K(\xi,\eta) \phi(\tau,\xi) \phi(\tau,\eta)\ d\eta \] where \((\tau,\xi)\in (0,\infty)\times (0,\infty)\), with non-negative initial condition \(\phi_0\in L^1((0,\infty),\xi d\xi)\), behave in a self-similar way for large values of \(\tau\). This conjecture is up to now known to be true for the \textit{so-called} solvable kernels \(K(\xi,\eta)=2\) and \(K(\xi,\eta)=\xi+\eta\), see [\textit{G. Menon} and \textit{R. L. Pego}, Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 57, No. 9, 1197--1232 (2004; Zbl 1049.35048)]. Its validity is extended here to small perturbations of the constant kernel with homogeneity zero. In addition, a temporal decay rate is derived. More precisely, let \(W\in C((0,\infty)^2)\) be a symmetric function satisfying \[ 0 \le W(\xi,\eta) \leq 1\text{ and } W(\lambda\xi,\lambda\eta) = W(\xi,\eta), \qquad (\lambda,\xi,\eta)^3, \] and set \(K_\varepsilon = 2 + \varepsilon W\) for \(\varepsilon \ge 0\). It is shown that, for \(\varepsilon>0\) sufficiently small, there is a unique self-similar solution \((\tau,\xi) \mapsto (1+\tau)^{-2} G_\varepsilon(x(1+\tau)^{-1})\) such that \(\|G_\varepsilon\|_{L^1((0,\infty),\xi d\xi)}=1\) and \(G_\varepsilon\in L^1((0,\infty),\xi^k d\xi)\) for all \(k\ge 0\). It is further proved that this self-similar solution is stable in the following sense: given \(R>0\), \(k>2\), and a non-negative initial condition \(\phi_0\) satisfying \[ \int_0^\infty \xi \phi_0(\xi)\ \mathrm{d}\xi = 1\,, \quad \int_0^\infty |\phi_0(\xi) -G_\varepsilon(\xi)| (1+\xi)^k\ \mathrm{d}\xi \le R\,, \] there are \(M>0\) and \(C>0\) depending only on \(R\) and \(k\) such that \begin{align*} & \int_0^\infty |(1+\tau)^2 \phi(\tau,x (1+\tau)) - G_\varepsilon(x)| (1+x)^k\ \mathrm{d}x \cr & \qquad\qquad \le C (1+\tau)^{(1-2M\varepsilon)/2} \int_0^\infty |\phi_0(\xi) -G_\varepsilon(\xi)| (1+\xi)^k\ \mathrm{d}\xi \end{align*} for \(\tau\ge 0\). The proof relies on a refined study of the dynamics of the coagulation equation with constant kernel \(K_0\), building upon previous works on this particular case. In particular, a spectral gap for the linearised operator around the explicit self-similar profile \(G_0(x) = e^{-x}\) is obtained. Also, the stability of the self-similar profiles \((G_\varepsilon)\) with respect to \(\varepsilon\) is established.