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On microscopic origins of generalized gradient structures
Classical gradient systems have a linear relation between rates and driving forces. In generalized gradient systems we allow for arbitrary relations derived from general non-quadratic dissipation potentials. This paper describes two natural origins for these structures. A first microscopic origin of generalized gradient structures is given by the theory of large-deviation principles. While Markovian diffusion processes lead to classical gradient structures, poissonian jump processes give rise to cosh-type dissipation potentials. A second origin arises via a new form of convergence, that we call EDP-convergence. Even when starting with classical gradient systems, where the dissipation potential is a quadratic functional of the rate, we may obtain a generalized gradient system in the evolutionary Gamma-limit. As examples we treat (i) the limit of a diffusion equation having a thin layer of low diffusivity, which leads to a membrane model, and (ii) the limit of diffusion over a high barrier, which gives a reaction-diffusion system.
Attractors for semilinear equations of viscoelasticity with very low disspation
We analyze a differential system arising in the theory of isothermal viscoelasticity. This system is equivalent to an integrodifferential equation of hyperbolic type with a cubic nonlinearity, where the dissipation mechanism is contained only in the convolution integral, accounting for the past history of the displacement. In particular, we consider here a convolution kernel which entails an extremely weak dissipation. In spite of that, we show that the related dynamical system possesses a global attractor of optimal regularity.
Stochastic homogenization of Lambda-convex gradient flows
In this paper we present a stochastic homogenization result for a class of Hilbert space evolutionary gradient systems driven by a quadratic dissipation potential and a Λ-convex energy functional featuring random and rapidly oscillating coefficients. Specific examples included in the result are Allen--Cahn type equations and evolutionary equations driven by the p-Laplace operator with p ∈ in (1, ∞). The homogenization procedure we apply is based on a stochastic two-scale convergence approach. In particular, we define a stochastic unfolding operator which can be considered as a random counterpart of the well-established notion of periodic unfolding. The stochastic unfolding procedure grants a very convenient method for homogenization problems defined in terms of (Λ-)convex functionals.
Gradient flows for bounded linear evolution equations
We study linear evolution equations in separable Hilbert spaces defined by a bounded linear operator. We answer the question which of these equations can be written as a gradient flow, namely those for which the operator is real diagonalisable. The proof is constructive, from which we also derive geodesic lambda-convexity.
On two coupled degenerate parabolic equations motivated by thermodynamics
We discuss a system of two coupled parabolic equations that have degenerate diffusion constants depending on the energy-like variable. The dissipation of the velocity-like variable is fed as a source term into the energy equation leading to conservation of the total energy. The motivation of studying this system comes from Prandtl's and Kolmogorov's one and two-equation models for turbulence, where the energy-like variable is the mean turbulent kinetic energy. Because of the degeneracies there are solutions with time-dependent support like in the porous medium equation, which is contained in our system as a special case. The motion of the free boundary may be driven by either self-diffusion of the energy-like variable or by dissipation of the velocity-like variable. The cross-over of these two phenomena is exemplified for the associated planar traveling fronts. We provide existence of suitably defined weak and very weak solutions. After providing a thermodynamically motivated gradient structure we also establish convergence into steady state for bounded domains and provide a conjecture on the asymptotically self-similar behavior of the solutions in Rd for large times.
EDP-convergence for nonlinear fast-slow reaction systems with detailed balance
We consider nonlinear reaction systems satisfying mass-action kinetics with slow and fast reactions. It is known that the fast-reaction-rate limit can be described by an ODE with Lagrange multipliers and a set of nonlinear constraints that ask the fast reactions to be in equilibrium. Our aim is to study the limiting gradient structure which is available if the reaction system satisfies the detailed-balance condition. The gradient structure on the set of concentration vectors is given in terms of the relative Boltzmann entropy and a cosh-type dissipation potential. We show that a limiting or effective gradient structure can be rigorously derived via EDP convergence, i.e. convergence in the sense of the Energy-Dissipation Principle for gradient flows. In general, the effective entropy will no longer be of Boltzmann type and the reactions will no longer satisfy mass-action kinetics.
On the numerical range of second order elliptic operators with mixed boundary conditions in L$^p$
We consider second order elliptic operators with real, nonsymmetric coefficient functions which are subject to mixed boundary conditions. The aim of this paper is to provide uniform resolvent estimates for the realizations of these operators on Lp in a most direct way and under minimal regularity assumptions on the domain. This is analogous to the main result in [7]. Ultracontractivity of the associated semigroups is also considered. All results are for two different form domains realizing mixed boundary conditions. We further consider the case of Robin- instead of classical Neumann boundary conditions and also allow for operators inducing dynamic boundary conditions. The results are complemented by an intrinsic characterization of elements of the form domains inducing mixed boundary conditions.
Effective diffusion in thin structures via generalized gradient systems and EDP-convergence
The notion of Energy-Dissipation-Principle convergence (EDP-convergence) is used to derive effective evolution equations for gradient systems describing diffusion in a structure consisting of several thin layers in the limit of vanishing layer thickness. The thicknesses of the sublayers tend to zero with different rates and the diffusion coefficients scale suitably. The Fokker--Planck equation can be formulated as gradient-flow equation with respect to the logarithmic relative entropy of the system and a quadratic Wasserstein-type gradient structure. The EDP-convergence of the gradient system is shown by proving suitable asymptotic lower limits of the entropy and the total dissipation functional. The crucial point is that the limiting evolution is again described by a gradient system, however, now the dissipation potential is not longer quadratic but is given in terms of the hyperbolic cosine. The latter describes jump processes across the thin layers and is related to the Marcelin--de Donder kinetics.