The Evolution of Travelling Waves in a KPP Reaction-Diffusion Model with cut-off Reaction Rate. II. Evolution of Travelling Waves

Abstract

In Part II of this series of papers, we consider an initial-boundary value problem for the Kolmogorov--Petrovskii--Piscounov (KPP) type equation with a discontinuous cut-off in the reaction function at concentration $u=u_c$. For fixed cut-off value $u_c \in (0,1)$, we apply the method of matched asymptotic coordinate expansions to obtain the complete large-time asymptotic form of the solution which exhibits the formation of a permanent form travelling wave structure. In particular, this approach allows the correction to the wave speed and the rate of convergence of the solution onto the permanent form travelling wave to be determined via a detailed analysis of the asymptotic structures in small-time and, subsequently, in large-space. The asymptotic results are confirmed against numerical results obtained for the particular case of a cut-off Fisher reaction function.