Nonlocal Cahn–Hilliard–Hele–Shaw Systems with Singular Potential and Degenerate Mobility

Abstract

We study a Cahn-Hilliard-Hele-Shaw (or Cahn-Hilliard-Darcy) system for an incompressible mixture of two fluids. The relative concentration difference $\varphi$ is governed by a convective nonlocal Cahn-Hilliard equation with degenerate mobility and logarithmic potential. The volume averaged fluid velocity $\mathbf{u}$ obeys a Darcy's law depending on the so-called Korteweg force $\mu\nabla \varphi$, where $\mu$ is the nonlocal chemical potential. In addition, the kinematic viscosity $\eta$ may depend on $\varphi$. We establish first the existence of a global weak solution which satisfies the energy identity. Then we prove the existence of a strong solution. Further regularity results on the pressure and on $\mathbf{u}$ are also obtained. Weak-strong uniqueness is demonstrated in the two dimensional case. In the three-dimensional case, uniqueness of weak solutions holds if $\eta$ is constant. Otherwise, weak-strong uniqueness is shown by assuming that the pressure of the strong solution is $\alpha$-H\"{o}lder continuous in space for $\alpha\in (1/5,1)$.