Finite-time blowup for a Navier-Stokes model equation for the self-amplification of strain (Q6171211)

The paper deals with the strain self-amplification model obtained by considering the Navier-Stokes equation in the strain formulation and by dropping the terms of advection and vorticity. This model equation has the same identity for enstrophy growth as the Navier-Stokes equation and consequently has a regularity criterion in view of the middle eigenvalue of the strain; see Theorems 1.10 and 4.8 in the paper for precise description. The main result is Theorem 5.3 showing finite-time blowup for the model equation to a wide class of initial data. As an application, the author obtains a new blowup criterion for the full Navier-Stokes equation in Theorem 6.1. This criterion suggests that any nonlinearity depletion preventing finite-time blowup for the full equation would be due to advection or to the interaction of strain and vorticity. Notice that the effects of these are omitted in the model equation. The novelty of Theorem 6.1 is that it provides a more quantitative condition verifying blowup than previous results; see Remarks 1.13--1.18 and Section 2 for more discussion. Throughout the paper, the author has taken utmost care to make the presentation clear and understandable. Moreover, the relationship between the results and the literature is carefully explained.