Behaviour of mushy regions under the action of a volumetric heat source (Q4033802)

A Stefan-type problem with volumetric heat sources is considered in a bounded domain \(\Omega\) of \(\mathbb{R}^ N\), \(N\geq 1\) \[ {{\partial E} \over {\partial t}} -\sum_{ij} {\partial \over {\partial x_ j}} \left( a_{ij}(x,t,u){{\partial u} \over {\partial x_ i}}\right)+ \sum_ i b_ i(x,t,u){{\partial u} \over {\partial x_ i}}=Q(x,t,E), \] \[ E(x,t)=\int_ 0^{u(x,t)} c(x,z)dz+\lambda H(u(x,t)). \] In the description of a phase-change problem, \(u\) and \(E\) are the temperature and the thermal energy respectively, \(c(x,u)\) represents the specific heat (the case of time dependence can be considered as well), \(a_{ij}(x,t,u)\), \(\sum a_{ij} \xi_ i \xi_ j\geq\alpha |\xi|^ 2>0\), \(a_{ij}=a_{ji}\), is the conductivity matrix, \(b_ i\) are the components of the convective velocity, and \(\lambda\) is the latent heat of a change of phase taking place at the fixed temperature \(u=0\). Thus liquid phase is characterized by \(u\geq 0\), \(E\geq\lambda\), while regions where \(u\leq 0\), \(E\leq 0\) are occupied by solid phase. If there exist domains of positive measure where \(u=0\) and \(E\in(0,\lambda)\), they are called mushy zones. The term \(Q\) represents the power of volumetric heat sources -- or sinks, if \(Q<0\) -- and is assumed to depend, for fixed \(x\) and \(t\), on temperature \(u(x,t)\) or, more generally, on energy \(E(x,t)\). The paper analyzes the conditions on \(Q\) for the appearance of a mushy region inside a pure solid phase. In particular it is shown that these conditions concern only the behaviour of \(Q\) in the vicinity of \(E=0\). Both classical and generalized solutions are considered and in the former case the behaviour of the solution at the free boundary is investigated in detail. The same arguments apply of course to the case of mushy zones appearing in a pure liquid phase.