Internal layers intersecting the boundary of domain in the Allen-Cahn equation (Q5950037)

Let \(\Omega\) be a smooth bounded domain in \(\mathbb{R}^{2}\). This paper deals with the Neumann boundary value problem for the Allen-Cahn equation: \[ u_{t}=\Delta u + \frac{1}{\varepsilon ^{2}} f(u)\quad \text{in }\Omega, \qquad \frac{ \partial u }{ \partial n } = 0\quad \text{on }\partial \Omega,\;t > 0,\tag{1} \] and the associated stationary problem (2), where \(f\) comes from a double-well potential of equal depth. The interface \(\Gamma(t)\), i.e. the 0-level set of the solution \(u\) of (1), evolves according to: (3) \(\mathbb{V}(s)=-\kappa(s)\), where \(\mathbb{V}(s)\) is the normal velocity, and \(\kappa(s)\) the curvature of \(\Gamma(t)\) at \(s\in \Gamma(t)\) [see \textit{X-F. Chen}, J. Differ. Equations 96, 116-141 (1992; Zbl 0765.35024)]. For simplicity, results and proofs are presented when \(f(u)=u-u ^ {3}\) and a portion of the boundary \(\partial\Omega\) is symmetrical with respect to the \(x\)-axis and represented as graphs of smooth functions \(y=\pm\psi(x)\). Let \(x_0\) be such that \(\psi'(x_0)=0\) and \(\Gamma=\{ (x_{0},y) \in \Omega \}\), be an equilibrium interface of (3). Under non-degeneracy conditions, the authors prove the existence, and study stability properties of an equilibrium solution of (1) with internal transition layers along \(\Gamma\). The proofs are based on a construction of an accurate approximate solution \(u_\varepsilon\) of (2), the linearization of (2) around \(u_{\varepsilon}\) and spectral properties of this linearization. Numerical simulations are exhibited which indicate that bifurcations occur when the non-degeneracy conditions are not satisfied.