$\Gamma$-convergence and stochastic homogenization of second order singular perturbation models for phase transitions

Abstract

We study the effective behavior of random, heterogeneous, anisotropic, second order phase transitions energies that arise in the study of pattern formations in physical-chemical systems. Specifically, we study the asymptotic behavior, as $\epsilon$ goes to zero, of random heterogeneous anisotropic functionals in which the second order perturbation competes not only with a double well potential but also with a possibly negative contribution given by the first order term. We prove that, under suitable growth conditions and under a stationarity assumption, the functionals $\Gamma$-converge almost surely to a surface energy whose density is independent of the space variable. Furthermore, we show that the limit surface density can be described via a suitable cell formula and is deterministic when ergodicity is assumed.