Qualitative Analysis of Viscous Fluid Cosmological Models satisfying the Israel-Stewart theory of Irreversible Thermodynamics

Isotropic and spatially homogeneous viscous fluid cosmological models are investigated using the truncated Israel-Stewart theory of irreversible thermodynamics to model the bulk viscous pressure. The governing system of differential equations is written in terms of dimensionless variables and a set of dimensionless equations of state is then utilized to complete the system. The resulting dynamical system is analyzed using geometric techniques from dynamical systems theory to find the qualitative behaviour of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker models with bulk viscosity. In these models there exists a free parameter such that the qualitative behaviour of the models can be quite different (for certain ranges of values of this parameter) from that found in models satisfying the Eckart theory studied previously. In addition, the conditions under which the models inflate are investigated.Comment: 29 pages, 8 Encapsulated PostScript Figures, uses the IOP style file

Dilatation of a one-dimensional nonlinear crack impacted by a periodic elastic wave

The interactions between linear elastic waves and a nonlinear crack with finite compressibility are studied in the one-dimensional context. Numerical studies on a hyperbolic model of contact with sinusoidal forcing have shown that the mean values of the scattered elastic displacements are discontinuous across the crack. The mean dilatation of the crack also increases with the amplitude of the forcing levels. The aim of the present theoretical study is to analyse these nonlinear processes under a larger range of nonlinear jump conditions. For this purpose, the problem is reduced to a nonlinear differential equation. The dependence of the periodic solution on the forcing amplitude is quantified under sinusoidal forcing conditions. Bounds for the mean, maximum and minimum values of the solution are presented. Lastly, periodic forcing with a null mean value is addressed. In that case, a result about the mean dilatation of the crack is obtained.Comment: submitted to the SIAM J. App. Mat

Elastic, thermal expansion, plastic and rheological processes - theory and experiment

Rocks are important examples for solid materials where, in various engineering situations, elastic, thermal expansion, rheological/viscoelastic and plastic phenomena each may play a remarkable role. Nonequilibrium continuum thermodynamics provides a consistent way to describe all these aspects in a unified framework. This we present here in a formulation where the kinematic quantities allow arbitrary nonzero initial (e.g., in situ) stresses and such initial configurations which - as a consequence of thermal or remanent stresses - do not satisfy the kinematic compatibility condition. The various characteristic effects accounted by the obtained theory are illustrated via experimental results where loaded solid samples undergo elastic, thermal expansion and plastic deformation and exhibit rheological behaviour. From the experimental data, the rheological coefficients are determined, and the measured temperature changes are also explained by the theory.Comment: 15 pages, to appear in Period. Polytech. Civil En