ON THE PROPAGATION OF A PERIODIC FLAME FRONT BY AN ARRHENIUS KINETIC

Abstract

42 pages. The statements of Theorems 7 and 8 have been improved.

We consider the propagation of a flame front in a solid medium with a periodic structure. The model is governed by a free boundary system for the pair " temperature-front. " The front's normal velocity depends on the temperature via a (degenerate) Arrhenius kinetic. It also depends on the front's mean curvature. We show the existence of travelling wave solutions for the full system and consider their homogenization as the period tends to zero. We analyze the curvature effects on the homogenization and obtain a continuum of limiting waves parametrized by the limiting ratio " curvature coefficient/period. " This analysis provides valuable information on the heterogeneous propagation as well.