Influence of corner layers in the variational determination of bubble solutions of the constrained Allen–Cahn equation

Abstract

A steady-state bubble solution to the constrained mass conserving Allen–Cahn equation in a two-dimensional domain is constructed in the limit of small diffusivity. The solution is asymptotically constant inside a circle of radius rb centred at some unknown location x0 and has a sharp interface at the bubble radius that allows for a transition to a different asymptotically constant state outside the bubble. In a study by M. J. Ward (Metastable bubble solutions for the Allen–Cahn equation with mass conservation. SIAM J. Appl. Math. 56, 1996, 247–1279), the bubble centre was determined by a limiting solvability condition. The solution found by Ward suggests the existence of a corner type boundary layer where the normal derivative of the bubble solution readjusts to satisfy the no-flux condition at the boundary of the domain. This work is concerned with the details of the readjustment. A variational approach similar to the one of W. L. Kath, C. Knessl and B. J. Matkowsky (A variational approach to nonlinear singularly perturbed boundary-value problems. Stud. Appl. Math. 77, 1987, 61–88) shows the formation of a corner layer (for the derivative of the solution) which influences as a high-order correction the available determination of the bubble centre. This corner layer describes to leading order the readjustment of the level lines of the bubble to lines parallel to the boundary of the container; moreover, it provides to leading order a smooth solution across the corner layer.