Local well-posedness of solutions to 2D magnetic Prandtl model in the Prandtl-Hartmann regime

Abstract

We consider the 2D magnetic Prandtl equation in the Prandtl-Hartmann regime in a periodic domain and prove the local existence and uniqueness of solutions by energy methods in a polynomial weighted Sobolev space. On the one hand, we have noted that the x-derivative of the pressure P plays a key role in all known results on the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the Prandtl-Hartmann regime equations, in which the case of favorable P (∂_xP < 0) or the case of ∂_xP = 0 (led by constant outer flow U = constant) was only considered. While in this paper, we have no restriction on the sign of ∂_xP, which has generalized all previous results and definitely gives rise to a difficulty in mathematical treatments. To overcome this difficulty, we shall use the skill of cancellation mechanism which is valid under the monotonicity assumption. One the other hand, we consider the general outer flow U ≠ constant, leading to the boundary data at y = 0 being much more complicated. To deal with these boundary data, some more delicate estimates and mathematical induction method will be used. Therefore, our result also provides an extension of earlier studies by addressing the challenges arising from general outer flow.