Local and Global Injective Solution of the Rotationally Symmetric Sphere Problem

There are problems in the classical linear theory of elasticity whose closed form solutions, while satisfying the governing equations of equilibrium together with well-posed boundary conditions, predict the existence of regions, often quite small, inside the body where material overlaps. Of course, material overlapping is not physically realistic, and one possible way to prevent it combines linear theory with the requirement that the deformation field be injective. A formulation of minimization problems in classical linear elasticity proposed by Fosdick and Royer [3] imposes this requirement through a Lagrange multiplier technique. An existence theorem for minimizers of plane problems is also presented. In general, however, it is not certain that such minimizers exist. Here, the Euler–Lagrange equations corresponding to a family of three-dimensional problems is investigated. In classical linear elasticity, these problems do not have bounded solutions inside a body of anisotropic material for a range of material parameters. For another range of parameters, bounded solutions do exist but yield stresses that are infinite at a point inside the body. In addition, these solutions are not injective in a region surrounding this point, yielding unrealistic behavior such as overlapping of material. Applying the formulation of Fosdick and Royer on this family of problems, it is shown that both the displacements and the constitutive part of the stresses are bounded for all values of the material parameters and that the injectivity constraint is preserved. In addition, a penalty functional formulation of the constrained elastic problems is proposed, which allows to devise a numerical approach to compute the solutions of these problems. The approach consists of finding the displacement field that minimizes an augmented potential energy functional. This augmented functional is composed of the potential energy of linear elasticity theory and of a penalty functional divided by a penalty parameter. A sequence of solutions is then constructed, parameterized by the penalty parameter, that converges to a function that satisfies the first variation conditions for a minimizer of the constrained minimization problem when this parameter tends to infinity. This approach has the advantages of being mathematically appealling and computationally simple to implement.     

Folding of Thin Walled Tubes as a Free Gradient Discontinuity Problem

The aim of this paper is to describe buckling deformations of hollow cylinders whose buckled configurations consist of inextensional deformations of their original middle surface, through minimization of two competing energy forms: a bulk elastic energy and an interface bending energy. These minimal energy configurations are obtained through descent minimization within the class of folding deformations. The non-standard problem of minimization over variable triangulations is considered.     

Derivatives of the Stretch, Rotation and Exponential Tensors in n-Dimensional Vector Spaces

We present a solution for the tensor equation TX + XT ^T = H, where T is a diagonalizable (in particular, symmetric) tensor, which is valid for any arbitrary underlying vector space dimension n. This solution is then used to derive compact expressions for the derivatives of the stretch and rotation tensors, which in turn are used to derive expressions for the material time derivatives of these tensors. Some existing expressions for n = 2 and n = 3 are shown to follow from the presented solution as special cases. An alternative methodology for finding the derivatives of diagonalizable tensor-valued functions that is based on differentiating the spectral decomposition is also discussed. Lastly, we also present a method for finding the derivatives of the exponential of an arbitrary tensor for arbitrary n.     

Marcus Integration Method for Shearable Plates

A method proposed by Marcus [5] to integrate the classical biharmonic equation of simply supported, unshearable plates with polygonal contour is extended to apply to shearable plates as well, provided the supporting device is of the ‘hard’ type.     

Extended Polar Decompositions for Plane Strain

In a finite deformation at a particle of a continuous body, a triad of infinitesimal material line elements is said to be “unsheared” when the angles between the three pairs of line elements of the triad suffer no change. In a previous paper, it has been shown that there is an infinity of unsheared oblique triads. With each oblique unsheared triad may be associated an “extended polar decomposition” F = QG = HQ of the deformation gradient F, in which Q is a rotation tensor, and G, H are not symmetric. Both G and H have the same real eigenvalues which are the stretches of the elements of the triad. In this paper, a detailed analysis of extended polar decompositions is presented in the case when the finite deformation is that of plane strain. Then, we may deal with a 2 × 2 deformation gradient F′ = Q′G′ = H′Q′ instead of the full 3 × 3 tensor F. In this case, the extended polar decompositions are associated with “unsheared pairs,” i.e., pairs of infinitesimal material line elements in the plane of strain which suffer no change in angle in the deformation. If one arm of an unsheared pair is chosen in the plane of strain, then, in general, its companion in the plane is determined. It follows that all possible extended polar decompositions may then be described in terms of a single parameter, the angle that the chosen arm makes with a coordinate axis in the plane. Explicit expressions for G′ and H′ are obtained, and various special cases are discussed. In particular, we note that the expressions for G′ and H′ remain valid even when the chosen arm is along a “limiting direction,” that is the direction of a line element which has no companion element in the plane forming an unsheared pair with it. The results are illustrated by considering the cases of simple shear and of pure shear.Dedicated to Professor Piero Villaggio as a symbol of our friendship and esteem.     

On the Canonical Elastic Moduli of Linear Plane Anisotropic Elasticity

The linear, planar, anisotropic elastic equilibrium equations are transformed to canonical form, through linear transformations of both coordinates and unknown displacement functions, together with a linear combination of equations. Correspondingly, the six original material moduli are replaced by two canonical elastic moduli. Similar results have been reached by Olver in 1988. However, the method demonstrated in this paper is more concise and direct. As an example, the general solution to the canonical equations is obtained in the case of a pair of double roots.     

On Constructing the Unique Solution for the Necking in a Hyper-Elastic Rod

In this paper, a novel approach which considers gradient effects and uses non-deforming boundary conditions is adopted to construct the unique solution for necking in a hyper-elastic rod. We study the problem of the large axially symmetric deformations of a rod composed of an incompressible Ogden’s hyper-elastic material subject to a tensile stress (or a given displacement) when its two ends are fixed to rigid bodies. The attention is on the class of energy functions for which the stress–strain curve in the case of the uniaxial tension has a peak and valley combination. A phase-plane analysis is introduced to study the qualitative behaviour of the solutions. Then, by using the non-deforming conditions at two ends, the solutions corresponding to trajectories in different phase planes are obtained. It turns out that the non-deforming conditions play an important role in selecting the solutions. Further, by converting the problem into a displacement-controlled problem, the unique solution is obtained. The engineering strain and engineering stress curve plotted from our solution exhibits two interesting phenomena: (i) After the stress reaches the peak value there is a sudden stress drop; (ii) Afterwards it is followed by a stress plateau. Some mathematical explanations on these two phenomena are then given.     

Inhomogeneous ‘longitudinal’ plane waves in a deformed elastic material

By definition, a homogeneous isotropic compressible Hadamard material has the property that an infinitesimal longitudinal homogeneous plane wave may propagate in every direction when the material is maintained in a state of arbitrary finite static homogeneous deformation. Here, as regards the wave, homogeneous means that the direction of propagation of the wave is parallel to the direction of eventual attenuation; and longitudinal means that the wave is linearly polarized in a direction parallel to the direction of propagation. In other words, the displacement is of the form u = ncos k(n · x – ct), where n is a real vector. It is seen that the Hadamard material is the most general one for which a longitudinal inhomogeneous plane wave may also propagate in any direction of a predeformed body. Here, inhomogeneous means that the wave is attenuated, in a direction distinct from the direction of propagation; and longitudinal means that the wave is elliptically polarized in the plane containing these two directions, and that the ellipse of polarization is similar and similarly situated to the ellipse for which the real and imaginary parts of the complex wave vector are conjugate semi-diameters. In other words, the displacement is of the form u = {S exp i(S · x – ct)}, where S is a complex vector (or bivector). Then a Generalized Hadamard material is introduced. It is the most general homogeneous isotropic compressible material which allows the propagation of infinitesimal longitudinal inhomogeneous plane circularly polarized waves for all choices of the isotropic directional bivector. Finally, the most general forms of response functions are found for homogeneously deformed isotropic elastic materials in which longitudinal inhomogeneous plane waves may propagate with a circular polarization in each of the two planes of central circular section of the ⁿ -ellipsoid, where is the left Cauchy-Green strain tensor corresponding to the primary pure homogeneous deformation.     

On the Averaging of Symmetric Positive-Definite Tensors

In this paper we present properly invariant averaging procedures for symmetric positive-definite tensors which are based on different measures of nearness of symmetric positive-definite tensors. These procedures intrinsically account for the positive-definite property of the tensors to be averaged. They are independent of the coordinate system, preserve material symmetries, and more importantly, they are invariant under inversion. The results of these averaging methods are compared with the results of other methods including that proposed by Cowin and Yang (J. of Elasticity 46 (1997) pp. 151–180.) for the case of the elasticity tensor of generalized Hooke's law.     

Comparison arguments and decay estimates in non-linear viscoelasticity

In a recent paper two Phragmen-Lindelof growth-decay estimates were derived for solutions of initial boundary problems arising in anti-plane shear dynamic deformations in the non-linear theory of viscoelasticity. In particular the results apply to the sub-linear family of power-law materials. In this paper we improve the decay estimates. We prove that the rate of decay is bounded below by an exponential of a second degree polynomial of the distance from the end. The main tool is the use of the comparison methods in a similar way to their use for parabolic problems.     

On Transverse and Rotational Symmetries in Elastic Rods

The influences of transverse and rotational symmetries on the strain-energy functions of elastic rods are discussed. Complete function bases are presented and, for some constrained theories, these bases are also proven to be irreducible. The treatment of symmetry is based on a reformulation of a recent work by Luo and O’Reilly. It is also shown how this work relates to existing treatments by Antman and Healey for a particular constrained rod theory.     

A novel harmonic balance analysis for the Van Der Pol oscillator

This study focuses on a novel harmonic balance formulation, the high-dimensional harmonic balance method. To investigate a non-linearity in the damping term, the system chosen for study is the Van der Pol's oscillator. Both unforced and forced oscillators are analyzed. The results from the analysis are compared with those obtained from the classical harmonic balance and the time marching (Runge-Kutta) methods.     

Epitaxy of Binary Compounds and Alloys

The present work aims at constructing a theoretical framework within which to address the issues of morphological instabilities (one-dimensional step bunching and two-dimensional step meandering), alloying, and phase segregation in binary systems in the context of (physical or chemical) vapor deposition. The length scale of interest, although nanoscopic, is sufficiently large that the steps on a vicinal surface can be viewed as smooth curves and, correspondingly, the theory is a continuum one. In a departure from theories inaugurated by Burton, Cabrera, and Frank [The growth of crystals and the equilibrium structure of their surfaces. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A 243 (1951) 299–358] the steps are endowed with a thermodynamic structure whose main ingredients are a step free-energy density and edge species chemical potentials. Moreover, crystal anisotropy, with its altering of the dynamics of steps and the associated morphological instabilities, is accounted for – in a manner consistent with the second law – both in the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of terraces and, more importantly, of steps. Additionally, in contrast with most of the literature on the subject (cf. [J. Krug, Introduction to step dynamics and step instabilities. In: A. Voigt (ed.) Multiscale Modeling in Epitaxial Growth. Birkhäusser, Berlin (2005)]), adsorption–desorption along the steps, bulk atomic diffusion, and chemical reactions (both on the terraces and along the step edges) are incorporated and coupled to the other mechanisms, e.g., terrace adatom diffusion and step attachment–detachment kinetics, whose interplay governs the evolution of steps on vicinal surfaces. Importantly, aided by the concept of configurational forces for which a separate balance law is postulated Configurational Forces as Basic Concepts of Continuum Physics. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2000)]), the proposed theory allows the steps to evolve away from local equilibrium thus contributing to a general treatment of the dynamics of steps. Finally, a specialization to the epitaxy of binary compounds and alloys is afforded, yielding a generalization of the classical Gibbs–Thomson relation in the former and novel evolution equations for an individual step in the latter.     

A Helmholtz/Weyl Decomposition in Energy Space

For a bounded region in a Helmholtz/Weyl decomposition of the Sobolev space is given,with orthogonality with respect to the strain-energy inner product of elasticity (anisotropic or isotropic).     

A reformulation of the strong ellipticity conditions for unconstrained hyperelastic media

The conditions for the strong ellipticity of the equilibrium equations of compressible, isotropic, nonlinearly elastic solids (established by Simpson and Spector [1]) are expressed in terms of the stored-energy function regarded as a function of the principal stretches. The applicability of this reformulation is illustrated with the help of two specific examples.     

The theory of Kirchhoff rods as an exact consequence of three-dimensional elasticity

A one-dimensional model of a linearly elastic thin rod is deduced from three-dimensional elasticity by regarding the Kirchhoff hypotheses as internal constraints prevailing in a three-dimensional tubular region. It follows from such an assumption that the displacement and the strain fields are linear in the cross-sectional coordinates. A constitutive relation that exhibits the maximal symmetry compatible with the assumed constraints is chosen and the equilibrium equations in terms of displacements are obtained.     

A circular inhomogeneity subjected to non-uniform remote loading in finite plane elastostatics

We consider an inhomogeneity-matrix system from a particular class of compressible hyperelastic materials of harmonic-type undergoing finite plane deformations. We obtain the complete solution for a perfectly bonded circular inhomogeneity when the system is subjected to non-uniform remote stress characterized by stress functions described by general polynomials of order n?1 in the corresponding complex-variable z used to describe the matrix.     

The tensor equation AX+XA=Φ(A,H), with applications to kinematics of continua

The (second-order) tensor equation AX+XA=(A,H) is studied for certain isotropic functions (A,H) which are linear in H. Qualitative properties of the solution X and relations between the solutions for various forms of are established for an inner product space of arbitrary dimension. These results, together with Rivlin's identities for tensor polynomials in two variables, are applied in three dimensions to obtain new explicit formulas for X in direct tensor notation as well as new derivations of previously known formulas. Several applications to the kinematics of continua are considered.     

On the Existence of Strong Solutions to a Coupled Fluid-Structure Evolution Problem

We consider here a model of fluid-structure evolution problem which, in particular, has been largely studied from the numerical point of view. We prove the existence of a strong solution to this problem.