Analysis of a Mixed Finite Element Method for a Cahn-Hilliard-Darcy-Stokes System

Amanda E. Diegel, Xiaobing H. Feng, Steven M. Wise

Published 2013-12-04, updated 2013-12-21Version 3

In this paper we devise and analyze a mixed finite element method for a modified Cahn-Hilliard equation coupled with a non-steady Darcy-Stokes flow that models phase separation and coupled fluid flow in immiscible binary fluids and diblock copolymer melts. The time discretization is based on a convex splitting of the energy of the equation. We prove that our scheme is unconditionally energy stable with respect to a spatially discrete analogue of the continuous free energy of the system and unconditionally uniquely solvable. We prove that the phase variable is bounded in $L^\infty \left(0,T,L^\infty\right)$ and the chemical potential is bounded in $L^\infty \left(0,T,L^2\right)$ absolutely unconditionally in two and three dimensions, for any finite final time $T$. We subsequently prove that these variables converge with optimal rates in the appropriate energy norms in both two and three dimensions.