We consider a system coupling the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations to the Vlasov–Fokker–Planck equation. Such a problem arises in the description of particulate flows. We design a numerical scheme to simulate the behavior of the system. This scheme is asymptotic-preserving, thus efficient in both the kinetic and hydrodynamic regimes. It has a numerical stability condition controlled by the non-stiff convection operator, with an implicit treatment of the stiff drag term and the Fokker–Planck operator. Yet, consistent to a standard asymptotic-preserving Fokker–Planck solver or an incompressible Navier–Stokes solver, only the conjugate–gradient method and fast Poisson and Helmholtz solvers are needed. Numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and asymptotic behavior of the scheme, with several interesting applications.

Abstract In this paper, we provide an alternative proof for the classical Sz. Nagy inequality in one dimension by a variational method and generalize it to higher dimensions J(h):=(∫Rd|h| dx)a611∫Rd|63h|2 dx(∫Rd|h|m+1 dx)a+1m+1≥β0, where m > 0 for d = 1, 2, for , and . The Euler–Lagrange equation for critical points of in the non-negative radial decreasing function space is given by a free boundary problem for a generalized Lane–Emden equation, which has a unique solution (denoted by h c ) and the solution determines the best constant for the above generalized Sz. Nagy inequality. The connection between the critical mass for the thin-film equation and the best constant of the Sz. Nagy inequality in one dimension was first noted by Witelski et al (2004 Eur. J. Appl. Math. 15 223–56). For the following critical thin film equation in multi-dimension ht+6366(h 63Δh)+6366(h 63hm)=0,x∈Rd, where m = 1 + 2/d, the critical mass is also given by . A finite time blow-up occurs for solutions with the initial mass larger than M c . On the other hand, if the initial mass is less than M c and a global non-negative entropy weak solution exists, then the second moment goes to infinity as or in for some subsequence . This shows that a part of the mass spreads to infinity.

In this paper, we study the fluid-dynamic limit for the one-dimensional Broadwell model of the nonlinear Boltzmann equation in the presence of boundaries. We consider an analogue of Maxwell's diffusive and reflective boundary conditions. The boundary layers can be classified as either compressive or expansive in terms of the associated characteristic fields. We show that both expansive and compressive boundary layers (before detachment) are nonlinearly stable and that the layer effects are localized so that the fluid dynamic approximation is valid away from the boundary. We also show that the same conclusion holds for short time without the structural conditions on the boundary layers. A rigorous estimate for the distance between the kinetic solution and the fluid-dynamic solution in terms of the mean-free path in theL∞-norm is obtained provided that the interior fluid flow is smooth. The rate of convergence is optimal.

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In a recent important breakthrough D. Christodoulou has solved a long standing problem of General Relativity of evolutionary formation of trapped surfaces in the Einstein-vacuum space-times. He has identified an open set of regular initial conditions on an outgoing null hypersurface (both finite and at past null infinity) leading to a formation a trapped surface in the corresponding vacuum space-time to the future of the initial outgoing hypersurface and another incoming null hypersurface with the prescribed Minkowskian data. In this paper we give a simpler proof for a finite problem by enlarging the admissible set of initial conditions and, consistent with this, relaxing the corresponding propagation estimates just enough that a trapped surface still forms. We also reduce the number of derivatives needed in the argument from two derivatives of the curvature to just one. More importantly, the proof, which can be easily localized with respect to angular sectors, has the potential for further developments.