Structure-preserving discretization and fingering dynamics of a Cahn-Hilliard model for traction-driven digit morphogenesis

Abstract

We study a Cahn-Hilliard equation with anisotropic traction flux arising as a reduced continuum model of mechanically biased cell interactions in digit-forming organoids. For a regularized problem with strictly positive bounded mobility, we introduce a mixed finite element discretization based on an implicit-explicit treatment of the chemical potential. We prove existence of discrete solutions, establish exact mass conservation and a discrete energy inequality, and show convergence of the fully discrete approximations to a weak solution of the regularized problem. Numerical experiments illustrate the resulting dynamics and show the transition from classical coarsening to traction-induced fingering and protrusive growth. The computational study is complemented by mass and energy diagnostics, an energy-balance residual, fingering-onset and protrusion-count diagnostics, and a manufactured-solution convergence study.