Symmetry breaking via Morse index for equations and systems of H\'enon-Schr\"odinger type

Abstract

We consider the Dirichlet problem for the Schr\"odinger-H\'enon system $$ -\Delta u + \mu_1 u = |x|^{\alpha}\partial_u F(u,v),\quad \qquad -\Delta v + \mu_2 v = |x|^{\alpha}\partial_v F(u,v) $$ in the unit ball $\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^N, N\geq 2$, where $\alpha>-1$ is a parameter and $F: \mathbb{R}^2 \to \mathbb{R}$ is a $p$-homogeneous $C^2$-function for some $p>2$ with $F(u,v)>0$ for $(u,v) \not = (0,0)$. We show that, as $\alpha \to \infty$, the Morse index of nontrivial radial solutions of this problem (positive or sign-changing) tends to infinity. This result is new even for the corresponding scalar H\'enon equation and extends a previous result by Moreira dos Santos and Pacella for the case $N=2$. In particular, the result implies symmetry breaking for ground state solutions, but also for other solutions obtained by an $\alpha$-independent variational minimax principle.