BGK model for rarefied gas in a bounded domain

Abstract

We study the Bathnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) equation in a smooth bounded domain featuring a diffusive reflection boundary condition with general collision frequency. We prove that the BGK equation admits a unique global solution with an exponential convergence rate if the initial condition is a small perturbation around the global Maxwellian in the $L^\infty$ space. For the proof, we utilize the dissipative nature from the linearized BGK operator and establish an $L^2$ coercive estimate. Next, we derive the a priori estimate by obtaining an $L^\infty$ bound on the nonlinear operator; this requires a delicate analysis to manage its intrinsic nonlinear structure. Finally, we establish the $L^\infty$ stability estimate and introduce sequential arguments for the nonlinear BGK operator, thereby concluding both well-posedness and positivity.