Weak solutions for an initial–boundary Q-tensor problem related to liquid crystals

Abstract

The coupled Navier–Stokes and Q-tensor system is considered in a bounded three-dimensional domain under homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions for the velocity u and either nonhomogeneous Dirichlet or homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions for the tensor Q. The corresponding initial-value problem in the whole space R3 was analyzed in Paicu and Zarnescu (2012).In this paper, three main results concerning weak solutions will be proved: the existence of global in time weak solutions (bounded up to infinite time), a uniqueness criteria and a maximum principle for Q. Moreover, we identify how to modify the system to deduce symmetry and traceless for Q, for any weak solution. The presence of a stretching term in the Q-system plays a crucial role in all the analysis.