Inhomogenous Navier–Stokes Equations with Unbounded Density

Abstract

In the current state of the art regarding the Navier–Stokes equations, the existence of unique solutions for incompressible flows in two spatial dimensions is already well-established. Recently, these results have been extended to models with variable density, maintaining positive outcomes for merely bounded densities, even in cases with large vacuum regions. However, the study of incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with unbounded densities remains incomplete. Addressing this gap is the focus of the present paper. Our main result demonstrates the global existence of a unique solution for flows initiated by unbounded density, whose regularity/integrability is characterized within a specific subset of the Yudovich class of unbounded functions. The core of our proof lies in the application of Desjardins’ inequality, combined with a blow-up criterion for ordinary differential equations. Furthermore, we derive time-weighted estimates that guarantee the existence of a \(C^1\) velocity field and ensure the equivalence of Eulerian and Lagrangian formulations of the equations. Finally, by leveraging results from Danchin, R., Mucha, P.B.: The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in vacuum. Comm. Pure Appl. Math 72(7), 1351–1385 (2019), we conclude the uniqueness of the solution.