A fully nonlinear two-phase Alt-Phillips problem with gradient nonlinearities

Abstract

In this manuscript, we analyze a two-phase free boundary problem of Alt-Phillips-type driven by fully nonlinear elliptic equations with lower-order ingredients. More precisely, we consider equations of the type \[ F(x,D^{2}u)+\mathscr{H}(x,Du)=\mathscr{F}(x,u^{+},u^{-}) \quad \text{in } B_1 \subset \mathbb{R}^{n}, \] where the Hamiltonian term exhibits mixed linear and nonlinear gradient dependence, namely \[ \mathscr{H}(x,ξ):= \langle \mathcal{B}(x),ξ\rangle+\varrho(x)|ξ|^σ, \quad 0< σ\leq2, \,\,\, σ\neq 1, \] and the reaction is governed by a two-phase power-type nonlinearity of semilinear-type \[ \mathscr{F}(x,u^{+},u^{-}):=\mathfrak{g}(x)\big[(u^{+})^{m}-(u^{-})^{m}\big] \quad \text{for} \quad 0<m<1. \] Under suitable structural assumptions on the coefficients and the operator $F$, we develop a robust analytical framework to capture the fine properties of solutions near the free boundary. In particular, we establish improved growth estimates at higher-order singular nodal points, points where both phases meet and the solution exhibits critical degeneracy. The results are based upon a fine blow-up argument, stability and a Liouville-type theorem. We further prove quantitative non-degeneracy results, ensuring that solutions detach from zero at a controlled rate on each phase. As a consequence of our analysis, we derive a Liouville-type theorem for global solutions within this class. Our results extend and unify several previously known scenarios, and remain new even in the presence of gradient-dependent nonlinearities of order ($σ\neq 1$), thereby encompassing models with nonlinear drift and absorption effects arising in phase transition and reaction-diffusion phenomena.