Well-posedness and long-time behavior for a class of doubly nonlinear equations

This paper addresses a doubly nonlinear parabolic inclusion of the form $A(u_t)+B(u)\ni f$. Existence of a solution is proved under suitable monotonicity, coercivity, and structure assumptions on the operators $A$ and $B$, which in particular are both supposed to be subdifferentials of functionals on $L^2(\Omega)$. Moreover, under additional hypotheses on $B$, uniqueness of the solution is proved. Finally, a characterization of $\omega$-limit sets of solutions is given and we investigate the convergence of trajectories to limit points

Global existence for rate-independent gradient plasticity at finite strain

We provide a global existence result for the time-continuous elastoplasticity problem using the energetic formulation. For this we show that the geometric nonlinearities via the multiplicative decomposition of the strain can be controlled via polyconvexity and a priori stress bounds in terms of the energy density. While temporal oscillations are controlled via the energy dissipation the spatial compactness is obtain via the regularizing terms involving gradients of the internal variables

Free energy, free entropy, and a gradient structure for thermoplasticity

In the modeling of solids the free energy, the energy, and the entropy play a central role. We show that the free entropy, which is defined as the negative of the free energy divided by the temperature, is similarly important. The derivatives of the free energy are suitable thermodynamical driving forces for reversible (i.e.\ Hamiltonian) parts of the dynamics, while for the dissipative parts the derivatives of the free entropy are the correct driving forces. This difference does not matter for isothermal cases nor for local materials, but it is relevant in the non-isothermal case if the densities also depend on gradients, as is the case in gradient thermoplasticity. Using the total entropy as a driving functional, we develop gradient structures for quasistatic thermoplasticity, which again features the role of the free entropy. The big advantage of the gradient structure is the possibility of deriving time-incremental minimization procedures, where the entropy-production potential minus the total entropy is minimized with respect to the internal variables and the temperature. We also highlight that the usage of an auxiliary temperature as an integrating factor in Yang/Stainier/Ortiz "{A} variational formulation of the coupled thermomechanical boundary-value problem for general dissipative solids" (J. Mech. Physics Solids, 54, 401-424, 2006) serves exactly the purpose to transform the reversible driving forces, obtained from the free energy, into the needed irreversible driving forces, which should have been derived from the free entropy. This reconfirms the fact that only the usage of the free entropy as driving functional for dissipative processes allows us to derive a proper variational formulation

Linearized plasticity is the evolutionary \Gamma-limit of finite plasticity

We provide a rigorous justification of the classical linearization approach in plasticity. By taking the small-deformations limit, we prove via \Gamma-convergence for rate-independent processes that energetic solutions of the quasi-static finite-strain elastoplasticity system converge to the unique strong solution of linearized elastoplasticity.Comment: To appear on J. Eur. Math. Soc. (JEMS

A model for the evolution of laminates in finite-strain elastoplasticity

We study the time evolution in elastoplasticity within the rate-independent framework of generalized standard materials. Our particular interest is the formation and the evolution of microstructure. Providing models where existence proofs are possible is a challenging task since the presence of microstructure comes along with a lack of convexity and, hence, compactness arguments cannot be applied to prove the existence of solutions. In order to overcome this problem, we will incorporate information on the microstructure into the internal variable, which is still compatible with generalized standard materials. More precisely, we shall allow for such microstructure that is given by simple or sequential laminates. We will consider a model for the evolution of these laminates and we will prove a theorem on the existence of solutions to any finite sequence of time-incremental minimization problems. In order to illustrate the mechanical consequences of the theory developed some numerical results, especially dealing with the rotation of laminates, are presented

A rate-independent model for the isothermal quasi-static evolution of shape-memory materials

This note addresses a three-dimensional model for isothermal stress-induced transformation in shape-memory polycrystalline materials. We treat the problem within the framework of the energetic formulation of rate-independent processes and investigate existence and continuous dependence issues at both the constitutive relation and quasi-static evolution level. Moreover, we focus on time and space approximation as well as on regularization and parameter asymptotics.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figure