College of Science

Physical, Biological, Mathematical and Computational Sciences

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Applied & Computational Math seminar

Droplet solutions of a 2D free boundary problem from diblock
copolymer morphology

Friday, February 22, 2008 - 1:30pm
Speaker:
Xiaofeng Ren, George Washington University
Location:
Research I, Room 301

Abstract

The Ohta-Kawasaki density functional theory of diblock
copolymers gives rise to a nonlocal free boundary problem. In a proper
parameter range an equilibrium pattern of many droplets is proved to
exist in a general planar domain. A sub-range is identified where the
multiple droplet pattern is stable. Each droplet is close to a round
disc. The boundaries of the droplets satisfy an equation that involves
the curvature of the boundary and a quantity that depends nonlocally on
the whole pattern. The locations of the droplets are determined via a
Green’s function of the domain. In constructing the droplet pattern we
overcome three obstacles: interface oscillation, droplet coarsening, and
droplet translation.

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