Self-similar radial solutions to a class of strongly coupled reaction-diffusion systems with cross-diffusion (Q2446422)

Given \(\varepsilon>0\), \(N\geq 1\), \(z_1\in \{1, \dots, N\}\), and non-negative real numbers \((\mu_l)_{1\leq l \leq z_1}\), \((\chi_l)_{1\leq l \leq z_1}\), \((\nu_h)_{1 \leq h \leq N-z_1}\), and \((\lambda_h)_{1\leq h \leq N-z_1}\). Consider the Cauchy problem \[ \psi'' + \left( \frac{1}{r} + \frac{\varepsilon r}{2} \right) \psi' + \sum_{l=1}^{z_1} \mu_l e^{-r^2/4} e^{\chi_l \psi} + \sum_{h=1}^{N-z_1} \lambda_h e^{-r^2/4} e^{-\nu_h \psi} = 0\;, \quad r>0\;, \] with initial conditions \(\psi'(0)=0\) and \(\psi(0)=a>0\). It is shown that, if \[ 0 < N \max\{ \mu_l , \lambda_h \}\;\max\{\chi_l\} \frac{\ln{\varepsilon}}{\varepsilon-1} < \frac{1}{e} \;\;\text{ and }\;\; \max\{ \mu_l \}>0\;, \] then there are \(a^*>1/(\max\{\chi_l\})>a_*\) such that the corresponding solution \(\psi\) to the above Cauchy problem is positive for all \(r\geq 0\) and \(r\mapsto r\psi(r)\) belongs to \(L^1(0,\infty)\). Such solutions do not exist if \(\left( \sum \mu_l \right) \ln{\varepsilon}/(\varepsilon-1)\) is sufficiently large. The proof combines the mountain pass principle and ODE arguments. This problem stems from the study of the existence of self-similar radially symmetric solutions to some multi-species chemotaxis systems.