The Fujita exponent across an interface

Abstract

We consider the semilinear parabolic equation \[ \partial_t u = Δu + 2\mathfrak{q}\,δ_{\mathbb{S}}\,\nabla u + |u|^{p-1}u \qquad \text{in } (0,\infty)\times\mathbb{R}^N, \] where $|\mathfrak{q}|\le 1$, $p>1$, and $\mathbb{S}$ is a fixed interface hyperplane. Working in Lebesgue spaces, we first establish local well-posedness of mild solutions. This is achieved by combining Gaussian bounds for the associated fundamental solution with a contraction mapping argument adapted to the lack of spatial homogeneity induced by the interface term. We then prove a sharp Fujita-type dichotomy for nonnegative solutions. Specifically, we show that every nontrivial solution blows up in finite time when $1<p \le 1+\frac{2}{N}$, whereas for $p>1+\frac{2}{N}$ global solutions exist for sufficiently small initial data. The blow-up analysis relies on a suitably adapted test-function method that accounts for the presence of the interface. It is noteworthy that the critical exponent coincides with the classical Fujita exponent for the heat equation, indicating that the Fujita phenomenon remains stable under the presence of discontinuous diffusion effects and interface transmission conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first result of this type for operators involving a singular drift supported on a hypersurface.