An initial-boundary value problem for the multidimensional type III
thermoelaticity for a nonsimple material with a center of symmetry is
considered. In the linear case, the well-posedness with and without
Kelvin-Voigt and/or frictional damping in the elastic part as well as the lack
of exponential stability in the elastically undamped case is proved. Further, a
frictional damping for the elastic component is shown to lead to the
exponential stability. A Cattaneo-type hyperbolic relaxation for the thermal
part is introduced and the well-posedness and uniform stability under a
nonlinear frictional damping are obtained using a compactness-uniqueness-type
argument. Additionally, a connection between the exponential stability and
exact observability for unitary C0-groups is established.Comment: 28 page