Existence and stability of solutions with periodically moving weak internal layers (Q947591)

This paper deals with the singularly perturbed parabolic equation: \[ \varepsilon^2\left(\frac{\partial^2u}{\partial x^2}-\dfrac{\partial u} {\partial t}\right)=f(u,x,t,\varepsilon)\text{ in } D=\{-1<x<1,t\in\mathbb R\} \tag{1} \] associated with the conditions \[ \frac{\partial u}{\partial x}(\pm 1,t,\varepsilon)=0\text{ and } u(x,t+T,\varepsilon)=u(x,t,\varepsilon), \tag{2} \] here \(f\) is \(T\)-periodic in t, \(\varepsilon\) is a small positive parameter, the degenerate equation \(f(u,x,t,0)=0\) has two roots \(\varphi_1(x,t)\) and \(\varphi_2(x,t)\) which intersect along some curve \(x_o(t)\) whose projection into the \((x,t)\)- plane is located in \(\overline D\). Let \(\check{u}(x,t)=\varphi_1(x,t)\) for \(-1\leq x\leq x_o(t)\) and \(=\varphi_2(x,t)\) for \(x_o(t)\leq x\leq 1,t\in \mathbb R.\) The authors investigate conditions which imply the existence of a solution \(u_p\) to problem (1) (2) which satisfies \(\lim_{\varepsilon\to 0} u_p(x,t,\varepsilon)=\check{u}(x,t)\) for \((x,t)\in \overline{D}.\) Moreover, \(u_p\) is asymptotically stable, in the sense of Lyapunov. The proof is based on a regularization of the degenerate equation and the construction of lower and upper solutions to problem (1) (2). The example \(f(x,t,\varepsilon)=(u+x-\sin t)(u-3x+\sin t)-\varepsilon\) is considered.