Identification of a Spatially-Dependent Variable Order in One-Dimensional Subdiffusion

Abstract: In this work we investigate an inverse problem of identifying a spatially variable order in the one-dimensional subdiffusion model from the boundary flux measurement. The model involves a generalized Caputo derivative in time, and arises in the mathematical modeling of anomalous diffusion in heterogeneous media. We prove the unique recovery of a monotone piecewise constant variable order and its range for known and unknown media, respectively. The analysis is based on a delicate asymptotic expansion of the Laplace transform of the data as $p\to0$, which is of independent interest.