Slow grow-up in a quasilinear Keller-Segel system (Q6567209)

The (no-flux initial boundary value problem of the) parabolic-elliptic chemotaxis system\N\begin{align*}\Nu_t &= \nabla\cdot(D(u)\nabla u) - \nabla \cdot(uS(u)\nabla v)\\\N0&=\Delta v - \mu + u,\qquad \mu=\frac1{|\Omega|}\int_\Omega u, \qquad \int_{\Omega} v = 0\N\end{align*}\Nis shown to admit radially symmetric solutions which blow-up at time infinity, with the same rate as solutions of the ODE \(z'=z^2S(z)\). \N\NConditions on the positive smooth sensitivity and diffusivity functions that enable this result are\N\[\NS'(\xi)\le - K_1\xi^{-\beta}S(\xi), \text{ and } \frac{\xi S(\xi)}{D(\xi)} \ge K_2 \xi^\lambda\N\]\Nfor large \(\xi\) and with some \(K_1,K_2>0\), \(\beta\in[0,1)\) and \(\lambda>\frac{2}n\) (where \(n\) is the spatial dimension).\N\NExamples leading to grow-up rates of the form \(\ln^{\theta} t\) or \(\ln\ln t\) are given.\N\NKey to the proof of the crucial lower estimate is the construction of a five-parameter family of comparison functions which serve as subsolutions of the scalar parabolic equation into which the system is transformed.