Material Inhomogeneities In Elasticity

Material Inhomogeneities in Elasticity

Self contained, this book presents a thorough introduction to the complementary notions of physical forces and material (or configurational) forces. All the required elements of continuum mechanics, deformation theory and differential geometry are also covered. This book will be a great help to many, whilst revealing to others a rather new facet of continuum mechanics in general, and elasticity in particular. An organized exposition of continuum mechanics on the material manifold is given which allows for the consideration of material inhomogeneities in their most appropriate framework. In such a frame the nonlinear elasticity of anisotropic inhomogenous materials appears to be a true field theory. Extensions to the cases of electroelasticity and magnetelasticity are then straightforward. In addition, this original approach provides systematic computational means for the evaluation of characteristic parameters which are useful in various branches of applied mechanics and mathematical physics. This is the case for path-independent integrals and energy-release rates in brittle fracture, the influence of electromagnetic fields on fracture criteria (such as in ceramics), the notion of momentum of electromagnetic fields in matter in optics, and the perturbation of solitons propagating in elastic dispersive systems.

Material Inhomogeneities and their Evolution

With its origins in the theories of continuous distributions of dislocations and ofmetalplasticity,inhomogeneitytheoryisarichandvibrant?eldofresearch. The recognition of the important role played by con?gurational or material forces in phenomena such as growth and remodelling is perhaps its greatest present-day impetus. While some excellent comprehensive works approa- ing the subject from di?erent angles have been published, the objective of this monograph is to present a point of view that emphasizes the di?erenti- geometric aspects of inhomogeneity theory. In so doing, we follow the general lines of thought that we have propounded in many publications and presen- tions over the last two decades. Although based on these sources, this book is a stand-alone entity and contains some new results and perspectives. At the same time, it does not intend to present either a historical account of the - velopment of the subject or a comprehensive picture of the various schools of thought that can be encountered by perusing scholarly journals and attending specialized symposia. The book is divided into three parts, the ?rst of which is entirely devoted to the formulation of the theory in the absence of evolution. In other words, time is conspicuously absent from Part I. It opens with the geometric ch- acterization of material inhomogeneity within the context of simple bodies in Chapter 1, followed by extensions to second-grade and Cosserat media in Chapters 2 and 3.

Anisotropy and Inhomogeneity in Elasticity and Plasticity