On the Phase Connectedness of the Volume-Constrained Area Minimizing Partitioning Problem

Abstract

We study the stability of partitions in convex domains involving simultaneous coexistence of three phases, viz. triple junctions. We present a careful derivation of the formula for the second variation of area, written in a suitable form with particular attention to boundary and spine terms, and prove, in contrast to the two phase case, the existence of stable partitions involving a disconnected phase.