Bifurcation structure and mesa pattern formation in a one-component nonlocal adhesion model with population pressure and degenerate mobility

We analyze pattern formation from a homogeneous steady state in a one-component nonlocal adhesion model with population pressure and degenerate mobility. First, using linear stability analysis, we derive the instability threshold and a selection rule for the fastest-growing mode, and elucidate the mechanism by which the selected wavenumber shifts toward lower wavenumbers as the mean density increases. We then perform a weakly nonlinear analysis near the critical adhesion strength and derive an explicit expression for the Landau coefficient in the Stuart–Landau equation. This expression shows that the critical bifurcation is classified as supercritical or subcritical according to the mean density, the nonlinear exponent, and the second-harmonic response ratio of the kernel. Furthermore, we show that a large nonlinear exponent promotes a transition to subcriticality and confirm, through numerical bifurcation analysis and time-dependent simulations, a bifurcation structure with a fold point and the formation of mesa patterns. Finally, through the energy limit as $m\to \mathrm{\infty }$, we relate the observed mesa profiles to a capacity-constrained limiting structure.