Coagulation and fragmentation with discrete mass loss

A nonlinear integro-differential equation that models a coagulation and multiple fragmentation process in which discrete fragmentation mass loss can occur is examined using the theory of strongly continuous semigroups of operators. Under the assumptions that the coagulation kernel K is bounded and the fragmentation rate function a satisfies a linear growth condition, global existence and uniqueness of solutions that lose mass in accordance with the model are established. In the case when no coagulation is present and the fragmentation process is governed by power-law kernels, an explicit formula is given for the substochastic semigroup associated with the resulting mass-loss fragmentation equation. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.