Existence for the \(\alpha \)-patch model and the QG sharp front in Sobolev spaces (Q2480301)

Consider the evolution problem \[ \theta_{t}(x,t) + u(x,t) \cdot \nabla\theta(x,t) = 0, \qquad \theta(x,0) = \theta_{0}(x), \qquad x \in {\mathbb R}^2, \] where the relation between \(u\) and \(\theta\) is given in terms of the stream function \(\psi\) as follows: \[ u = \nabla^{\perp} \psi, \qquad \theta = -(-\Delta)^{1-\alpha/2} \psi, \qquad \alpha \in (0,1].\tag{1} \] When a sharp front, \[ \theta(x,t) = \begin{cases} \theta_{1}, &\Omega(t),\\ \theta_{2}, &{\mathbb R}^2 \setminus \Omega(t), \end{cases} \] is given, the problem consists in determining the evolution of the free boundary \(\partial\Omega(t)\). In the paper under review, the author establishes short time existence for \(\partial\Omega(t)\) in Sobolev space. For \(\alpha = 0\), the function \(\theta\) describes the vorticity for an incompressible fluid with velocity field \(u\), and for \(\alpha = 1\), it describes the temperature distribution within a fluid governed by the sharp front quasi-geostrophic (QG) equation. The parameter-dependent equation (1) was introduced by \textit{D. Córdoba, M. A. Fontelos, A. M. Mancho} and \textit{J. L. Rodrigo} in [``Evidence of singularities for a family of contour dynamics equations'', Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, No. 17, 5949--5952 (2005; Zbl 1135.76315)]. Assuming that \(\Omega(t)\) is a closed curve convected only by the normal velocity -- allowing us to adjust the tangential velocity at the boundary -- the author derives the following equivalent formulation of the problem: \[ x_t(\gamma,t) = \int_{-\pi}^\pi \frac{\partial_\gamma x(\gamma,t) - \partial_\gamma x(\gamma-\eta,t)}{| x(\gamma,t) - x(\gamma-\eta,t)| ^\alpha}\,d\eta, \qquad x(\gamma,0) = x_0(\gamma), \] where \(x(\gamma,t)\) is the parametrization of the boundary \(\partial\Omega(t)\) for \(\gamma \in [0,2\pi)\). With the aid of this formulation, and with a lot of work obtaining {a priori} estimates, the author proves local well-posedness separately for the cases \(\alpha \in (0,1)\) and \(\alpha = 1\).