On the Two-phase Fractional Stefan Problem

Abstract

Abstract The classical Stefan problem is one of the most studied free boundary problems of evolution type. Recently, there has been interest in treating the corresponding free boundary problem with nonlocal diffusion. We start the paper by reviewing the main properties of the classical problem that are of interest to us. Then we introduce the fractional Stefan problem and develop the basic theory. After that we center our attention on selfsimilar solutions, their properties and consequences. We first discuss the results of the one-phase fractional Stefan problem, which have recently been studied by the authors. Finally, we address the theory of the two-phase fractional Stefan problem, which contains the main original contributions of this paper. Rigorous numerical studies support our results and claims.