Numerical analysis for the interaction of mean curvature flow and diffusion on closed surfaces

Abstract

An evolving surface finite element discretisation is analysed for the evolution of a closed two-dimensional surface governed by a system coupling a generalised forced mean curvature flow and a reaction–diffusion process on the surface, inspired by a gradient flow of a coupled energy. Two algorithms are proposed, both based on a system coupling the diffusion equation to evolution equations for geometric quantities in the velocity law for the surface. One of the numerical methods is proved to be convergent in the H^1 norm with optimal-order for finite elements of degree at least two. We present numerical experiments illustrating the convergence behaviour and demonstrating the qualitative properties of the flow: preservation of mean convexity, loss of convexity, weak maximum principles, and the occurrence of self-intersections.