Invariant geometric properties in Hele-Shaw flows (Q312722)

Denote by \(\Omega(t)\subset\mathbb C\) a simply connected bounded domain occupied by a viscous fluid at the moment \(t\geq0\) in a planar Hele-Shaw cell under injection through a source of constant strength \(Q<0\), which is located at the origin. Let \(f(\cdot,t)\) be a unique conformal map from the unit disk \(\mathbb D=\{z:|z|<1\}\) onto \(\Omega(t)\), \(f(0,t)=0\), \(f'(0,t)>0\). The free boundary \(\partial\Omega(t)=\{f(e^{i\theta},t):\theta\in[0,2\pi)\}\) satisfies the Polubarinova-Galin equation \[ \mathrm{Re}[\dot f(z,t)\overline{zf'(z,t)}]=-\frac{Q}{2\pi},\;\;z=e^{i\theta}. \] In the case of an unbounded domain with bounded complement, \(\Omega(t)\), \(t\geq0\), is the domain occupied by the fluid under injection made at infinity, and \(F(\cdot,t)\) maps conformally the exterior \(\mathbb D^*\) of the closure \(\overline{\mathbb D}\) of \(\mathbb D\) onto \(\Omega(t)\), \(F(\infty)=\infty\), \(F'(\infty)>0\). For \(F\), there is a similar Polubarinova-Galin equation satisfied by the free boundary. The author states the invariance in time of starlikeness of order \(\alpha\) for bounded domains and of convexity of order \(\alpha\) in the case of unbounded domains. Remind that a holomorphic function \(f\) on \(\mathbb D\), \(f(0)=0\), \(f'(0)\neq0\), is star-like of order \(\alpha\in[0,1)\) if \(\mathrm{Re}\,zf'(z)/f(z)>\alpha\), \(z\in\mathbb D\), and a holomorphic function \(F\) on \(\mathbb D^*\), \(F(\infty)=\infty\), \(F'(\infty)>0\), is convex of order \(\alpha\in[0,1)\) if \(\mathrm{Re}(1+\zeta f''(\zeta)/f'(\zeta))>\alpha\), \(\zeta\in\mathbb D^*\). The author proves the following theorems. Theorem 1. Let \(Q<0\) and let \(f_0\) be an univalent function on a neighborhood \(U_R\) of \(\overline{\mathbb D}\). Then there exists \(\alpha_0=\alpha_0(U_R)\), \(0<\alpha_0<1\), such that the following statement is true. If \(f_0\) is a star-like function of order \(\alpha\) in \(\mathbb D\), \(0\leq\alpha<\alpha_0\), then the classical solution of the Polubarinova-Galin equation with the initial condition \(f(z,0)=f_0(z)\) remains star-like of order \(\alpha\) for \(0<t<\infty\). In particular, the existence time of the classical solution is infinite. Theorem 1 partially solves an open problem of Vasil'ev. Theorem 2: Let \(Q<0\) and let \(F_0\) be an univalent function on a neighborhood \(U_R^*\) of \(\overline{\mathbb D^*}\). Then there exists \(\alpha_0=\alpha_0(U_R^*)\), \(0<\alpha_0<1\), such that the following statement is true. If \(F_0\) is a convex function of order \(\alpha\) on \(\mathbb D^*\), \(0\leq\alpha<\alpha_0\), then the classical solution of the Polubarinova-Galin equation with the initial condition \(F(z,0)=F_0(z)\) remains convex of order \(\alpha\) during the existence time.