Approximation of multidimensional Stefan-like problems via hyperbolic relaxation (Q748768)

This paper deals with heat conduction problems. The heat flux q, the temperature \(\theta\) and the enthalpy u are related by Fourier's law: (1) \(q(t)=-\nabla \theta (t)\) and the parabolic Stefan problem (P): \(u_ t- \Delta \theta =0\), \(u\in \gamma (\theta)=\theta +H(\theta)\), where H denotes the Heaviside graph. The hyperbolic Stefan problem \((P_{\tau}): \tau \theta_{tt}+\gamma (\theta)_ t-\Delta \theta =0\) has been proposed by \textit{R. E. Schowalter} and \textit{N. J. Walkington} [Q. Appl. Math. 45, 769-781 (1987; Zbl 0649.35086)] \(\tau <0\) stands for the time delay. Once \((P_{\tau})\) has been solved, the physical variables \(q^{\tau}\) and \(u^{\tau}\) can be obtained from (2): \(\tau q_ t(t)+q(t)=-\nabla \theta (t)\) and (3): \(\tau u_ t+u\in \gamma (\theta)+\tau \theta_ t. (break?) \) Under basic assumptions, the authors introduce suitable weak formulations of problems (P) and \((P_{\tau})\) and regard \((P_{\tau})\) as a perturbation of (P). They obtain asymptotic energy error estimates for the physical unknows q,\(\theta\) and u, in accordance with various regularity assumptions on the initial data.