The global existence and uniqueness of classical solutions to the Boltzmann equation without angular cut-off is proved under the condition that the initial data is in some Sobolev space. In addition, the solutions thus obtained are shown to be positive and C in all variables. One of the key observations is the introduction of a new important norm related to the singularity in the cross section of the collision operator. This norm captures the essential property of the singularity and yields precisely the dissipation description of the linearized collision operator through the celebrated H-theorem.

ABSTRACT We investigate a kinetic model for the sedimentation of dilute suspensions of rod-like particles under gravity, deduced by Helzel, Otto, and Tzavaras (2011), which couples the impressible (Navier-)Stokes equation with the Fokker-Planck equation. With a no-flux boundary condition for the distribution function, we establish the existence and uniqueness of a global weak solution to the two dimensional model involving the Stokes equation.

We simulate the random front solutions of a nonlinear solute transport equation with spatial random coefficients modeling inhomogeneous sorption sites in porous media. The nonlinear sorption function is chosen to be Langmuir type, and the random coefficients are two independent stationary processes with fast decay of correlations. The model equation is in conservation form, and the random fronts are similar to random viscous shocks. We find that the average front speed is given by an ensemble averaged explicit RankineHugoniot relation, and the front position fluctuates about its mean. Our numerical calculations show that the standard deviation is of the order O( \sqrt t ) for large time, and the front fluctuation scaled by \sqrt t converges to a Gaussian random variable wih mean zero. We come up with a formal theory of front fluctuation, yielding an explicit expression of the root <i>t</i> normalized front standard

The Boltzmann equation without Grads angular cutoff assumption is believed to have a regularizing effect on the solutions because of the non-integrable angular singularity of the cross-section. However, even though this has been justified satisfactorily for the spatially homogeneous Boltzmann equation, it is still basically unsolved for the spatially inhomogeneous Boltzmann equation. In this paper, by sharpening the coercivity and upper bound estimates for the collision operator, establishing the hypo-ellipticity of the Boltzmann operator based on a generalized version of the uncertainty principle, and analyzing the commutators between the collision operator and some weighted pseudo-differential operators, we prove the regularizing effect in all (time, space and velocity) variables on the solutions when some mild regularity is imposed on these solutions. For completeness, we also show that when the initial

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