Local weak solution of the isentropic compressible Navier-Stokes equations with variable viscosity (Q6558293)

Even though the stress tensor of a Newtonian fluid is typically a linear function of the velocity gradient, there are fluids that do not satisfy this assumption. One such fluid is studied here, since the authors assume that the bulk viscosity coefficient depends on \(\rho\). The system in question is \N\[\N\partial_t \rho + \nabla \cdot (\rho u) = 0,\N\]\N\[\N\partial_t(\rho u) + \nabla\cdot (\rho u \otimes u ) + \nabla P = \mu \Delta u + \nabla((\mu + \lambda) \nabla\cdot u),\N\]\Nwhere it is assumed that the pressure is isentropic and \(\lambda = \lambda(\rho ) =b\rho^\beta\). The local-in-time existence of a strong solution has already been proven, assuming no vacuum initially and that the initial data belong to \(H^2\). This paper gives the local-in-time existence of a weak solution under relaxed assumptions, namely that the initial density may vanish and the initial velocity is in \(H^1\).