Higher-order asymptotic expansions for a parabolic system modeling chemotaxis in the whole space (Q845253)

The large time behaviour of global bounded solutions to the parabolic-parabolic Keller-Segel chemotaxis system \[ \partial_t u = \nabla\cdot (\nabla u - u \nabla v)\,, \quad \partial_t v = \Delta v - v + u\,, \quad (x,t)\in {\mathbb R}^n\times (0,\infty)\,, \] is investigated. It is already known that, for large times, both \(u(t)\) and \(v(t)\) behave like a multiple of the heat kernel and the next term in the asymptotic expansion involves the gradient of the heat kernel as well as a correction term for \(n=1\), the latter allowing to get rid of an extra logarithmic factor in time. Higher order asymptotics are obtained here up to order \(n\) if the integral of the initial condition \(u_0\) is non-zero and \(n\geq 2\), and up to order \(n+1\) if the integral of \(u_0\) vanishes and \(n\geq 1\). The asymptotic expansion depends on whether \(n\) is odd or even and correction terms have to be introduced to cancel the logarithmic term arising from diverging integrals with respect to time. These asymptotics are valid for global bounded solutions \((u,v)\) satisfying in addition \[ (1+|x|)^{\gamma-\mu}\;(1+t)^{\mu/2}\;\left( |u(x,t)| + |v(x,t)| \right) \leq C \] for all \((x,t)\in {\mathbb R}^n\times (0,\infty)\), \(\mu\in [0,\gamma]\), and \(\gamma\in\{n,n+1\}\). The existence of global bounded solutions \((u,v)\) enjoying the above property is also established for suitably small initial data \((u_0,v_0)\). The proof of these results relies on the decay properties of the heat kernel.