Asymptotically radial solutions in expanding annular domains

In this paper we consider the problem

$\left\{\begin{array}{ll}-\Delta u=u^{p}\quad {\rm in}\, \Omega_R,\\ u=0 \quad \quad \quad {\rm on}\, \partial\Omega_R,\quad\quad\quad (0.1)\end{array}\right.$

where p > 1 and Ω _R is a smooth bounded domain with a hole which is diffeomorphic to an annulus and expands as \({R \longrightarrow \infty}\). The main goal of the paper is to prove, for large R, the existence of a positive solution to (0.1) which is close to the positive radial solution in the corresponding diffeomorphic annulus. The proof relies on a careful analysis of the spectrum of the linearized operator at the radial solution as well as on a delicate analysis of the nondegeneracy of suitable approximating solutions.