Drift-diffusion limits of kinetic models for chemotaxis: a generalization (Q558593)

In this paper a kinetic model for chemotaxis is studied, which was introduced by \textit{H. G. Othmer, S. R. Dunbar} and \textit{W. Alt} in [J. Math. Biol. 26, No. 3, 263--298 (1988; Zbl 0713.92018)] and which was motivated by earlier results of \textit{W. Alt} in [J. Math. Biol. 9, 147--177 (1980; Zbl 0434.92001) and J. Reine Angew. Math. 322, 15--41 (1981; Zbl 0437.60059)]. The first rigorous derivation of a chemotaxis equation from a transport equation has been done by \textit{W. Alt} in [J. Reine Angew. Math. 322, 15--41 (1981; Zbl 0437.60059)]. Generalising the results by W. Alt, \textit{H. G. Othmer} and \textit{T. Hillen} [SIAM J. Appl. Math. 61, No. 3, 751--775 (2000; Zbl 1002.35120), SIAM J. Appl. Math. 62, No. 4, 1222--1250 (2002; Zbl 1103.35098)] studied the formal diffusion limit of a transport equation by moment expansions. Their results have been made rigorous for three dimensions by \textit{F. A. C. C. Chalub, P. A. Markowich, B. Perthame} and \textit{C. Schmeiser} in [Monatsh. Math. 142, No. 1--2, 123--141 (2004; Zbl 1052.92005)]. Chalub, Markowich, Perthame and Schmeiser showed that the kinetics model leads to the classical Keller-Segel chemotaxis model [J. Theor. Biol. 26, 399--415 (1970)] as its drift-diffusion limit, when the equation of the chemo-attractant is of elliptic type. This is the starting point of this paper. The authors generalize the results from three dimensions to two dimensions and show that the kinetic models have a macroscopic diffusion limit also when the equation of the chemo-attractant is of parabolic type. Therefore, they establish their rigorous derivation of the Keller-Segel equations also for the full parabolic model which was originally introduced to describe the positive chemotactical movement of mobile species. The main technique used in this paper to derive the presented results is potential theory.