Characteristic localization, sharp lifespan asymptotics and global dynamics for a one-dimensional derivative wave equation

Abstract

We study the Cauchy problem $$ v_{tt}-v_{xx}=\abs{v_t+v_x}^{m}\abs{v_t}^{n}, \qquad v(x,0)=\eta\varphi(x),\quad v_t(x,0)=\eta\psi(x), $$ on $\R$, with compactly supported profiles $\varphi\in C_0^2(\R)$, $\psi\in C_0^1(\R)$, exponents $m,n>1$, and amplitude $\eta>0$. We show that the sign of $P_0=\psi+\varphi'$ decides the behaviour of small solutions, whatever the sign of $\psi-\varphi'$. If $P_0$ is positive at some point, the lifespan $T(\eta)$ obeys explicit two-sided bounds of order $\eta^{-(m+n-1)}$ for every $\eta>0$, and $$ \lim_{\eta\to0^+}\eta^{m+n-1}T(\eta)=\frac{2^{n}}{(m+n-1)\,(\max_{\R}P_0)^{m+n-1}} . $$ If $P_0\le0$, the solution is global for every amplitude below an explicit threshold. If moreover $P_0\not\equiv0$, the component $v_t+v_x$ decays at the universal rate $\bigl(2^{n}/((m+n-1)t)\bigr)^{1/(m+n-1)}$, and the gradient of the solution converges uniformly to that of a free wave travelling to the right; if $P_0\equiv0$, the solution is itself such a travelling wave. The analysis rests on a localization property: the zero set of $v_t+v_x$ is invariant along its own characteristics, so that the nonlinear source stays in a slab of fixed width moving with speed one, and each characteristic of the other family is forced only during a bounded time. This yields the global existence, the long-time behaviour and the exact value of the limit. The results extend to the endpoint exponents $m,n\ge1$ and to sources $f(v_t+v_x)g(v_t)$, for which $T(\eta)$ is asymptotic to an Osgood-type integral.