Global existence of solutions to a parabolic-elliptic system of drift-diffusion type in \(\mathbb{R}^2\) (Q2816491)

For initial data \(u_0\in L^1 (\mathbb{R}^2)\) being such that \(u_0\geq 0\) and \(u_0\not\equiv 0\), the Cauchy problem of the parabolic-elliptic system: \(\partial_t u -\Delta u+\nabla\cdot(u\nabla\psi )=0\); \(-\Delta\psi=u\), is studied as defined in \(]0,\infty [\times \mathbb{R}^2\). The global-in-time existence is established for the unique (nonnegative) local-in-time weak solution under the initial data \(u_0\) satisfying both \(\int_{\mathbb{R}^2}u_0\log (1+|x|)\)dx \(<\infty\) and \(\int_{\mathbb{R}^2}u_0\)dx \(\leq 8\pi\). The proof relies on well-known properties of the solution of the two-dimensional Poisson equation and on the determination of apriori estimates to the modified free energy functionals \(\int_B (1+u(t)) \log( 1+u(t))\)dx \(-(1/2)\int_Bu(t)\psi(t)\)dx, where \(B\) is either the bounded ball \(B_R(0)\), the exterior region \(\mathbb{R}^2\setminus \overline{B_R(0)}\), or the annulus that connects the ball and the exterior region \(B_{2R}(0)\setminus \overline{B_{R/2}(0)}\).