Foundations Of Geometric Continuum Mechanics

This monograph presents the geometric foundations of continuum mechanics. An emphasis is placed on increasing the generality and elegance of the theory by scrutinizing the relationship between the physical aspects and the mathematical notions used in its formulation. The theory of uniform fluxes in affine spaces is covered first, followed by the smooth theory on differentiable manifolds, and ends with the non-smooth global theory. Because continuum mechanics provides the theoretical foundations for disciplines like fluid dynamics and stress analysis, the author’s extension of the theory will enable researchers to better describe the mechanics of modern materials and biological tissues. The global approach to continuum mechanics also enables the formulation and solutions of practical optimization problems. Foundations of Geometric Continuum Mechanics will be an invaluable resource for researchers in the area, particularly mathematicians, physicists, and engineers interested in the foundational notions of continuum mechanics.

This contributed volume explores the applications of various topics in modern differential geometry to the foundations of continuum mechanics. In particular, the contributors use notions from areas such as global analysis, algebraic topology, and geometric measure theory. Chapter authors are experts in their respective areas, and provide important insights from the most recent research. Organized into two parts, the book first covers kinematics, forces, and stress theory, and then addresses defects, uniformity, and homogeneity. Specific topics covered include: Global stress and hyper-stress theories Applications of de Rham currents to singular dislocations Manifolds of mappings for continuum mechanics Kinematics of defects in solid crystals Geometric Continuum Mechanics will appeal to graduate students and researchers in the fields of mechanics, physics, and engineering who seek a more rigorous mathematical understanding of the area. Mathematicians interested in applications of analysis and geometry will also find the topics covered here of interest.

This book illustrates the deep roots of the geometrically nonlinear kinematics of generalized continuum mechanics in differential geometry. Besides applications to first- order elasticity and elasto-plasticity an appreciation thereof is particularly illuminating for generalized models of continuum mechanics such as second-order (gradient-type) elasticity and elasto-plasticity. After a motivation that arises from considering geometrically linear first- and second- order crystal plasticity in Part I several concepts from differential geometry, relevant for what follows, such as connection, parallel transport, torsion, curvature, and metric for holonomic and anholonomic coordinate transformations are reiterated in Part II. Then, in Part III, the kinematics of geometrically nonlinear continuum mechanics are considered. There various concepts of differential geometry, in particular aspects related to compatibility, are generically applied to the kinematics of first- and second- order geometrically nonlinear continuum mechanics. Together with the discussion on the integrability conditions for the distortions and double-distortions, the concepts of dislocation, disclination and point-defect density tensors are introduced. For concreteness, after touching on nonlinear fir st- and second-order elasticity, a detailed discussion of the kinematics of (multiplicative) first- and second-order elasto-plasticity is given. The discussion naturally culminates in a comprehensive set of different types of dislocation, disclination and point-defect density tensors. It is argued, that these can potentially be used to model densities of geometrically necessary defects and the accompanying hardening in crystalline materials. Eventually Part IV summarizes the above findings on integrability whereby distinction is made between the straightforward conditions for the distortion and the double-distortion being integrable and the more involved conditions for the strain (metric) and the double-strain (connection) being integrable. The book addresses readers with an interest in continuum modelling of solids from engineering and the sciences alike, whereby a sound knowledge of tensor calculus and continuum mechanics is required as a prerequisite.

This textbook's methodological approach familiarizes readers with the mathematical tools required to correctly define and solve problems in continuum mechanics. Covering essential principles and fundamental applications, this second edition of Continuum Mechanics using Mathematica® provides a solid basis for a deeper study of more challenging and specialized problems related to nonlinear elasticity, polar continua, mixtures, piezoelectricity, ferroelectricity, magneto-fluid mechanics and state changes (see A. Romano, A. Marasco, Continuum Mechanics: Advanced Topics and Research Trends, Springer (Birkhäuser), 2010, ISBN 978-0-8176-4869-5). Key topics and features: * Concise presentation strikes a balance between fundamentals and applications * Requisite mathematical background carefully collected in two introductory chapters and one appendix * Recent developments highlighted through coverage of more significant applications to areas such as wave propagation, fluid mechanics, porous media, linear elasticity. This second edition expands the key topics and features to include: * Two new applications of fluid dynamics: meteorology and navigation * New exercises at the end of the existing chapters * The packages are rewritten for Mathematica 9 Continuum Mechanics using Mathematica®: Fundamentals, Applications and Scientific Computing is aimed at advanced undergraduates, graduate students and researchers in applied mathematics, mathematical physics and engineering. It may serve as a course textbook or self-study reference for anyone seeking a solid foundation in continuum mechanics.

This research monograph discusses novel approaches to geometric continuum mechanics and introduces beams as constraint continuous bodies. In the coordinate free and metric independent geometric formulation of continuum mechanics as well as for beam theories, the principle of virtual work serves as the fundamental principle of mechanics. Based on the perception of analytical mechanics that forces of a mechanical system are defined as dual quantities to the kinematical description, the virtual work approach is a systematic way to treat arbitrary mechanical systems. Whereas this methodology is very convenient to formulate induced beam theories, it is essential in geometric continuum mechanics when the assumptions on the physical space are relaxed and the space is modeled as a smooth manifold. The book addresses researcher and graduate students in engineering and mathematics interested in recent developments of a geometric formulation of continuum mechanics and a hierarchical development of induced beam theories.

Differential Geometry offers a concise introduction to some basic notions of modern differential geometry and their applications to solid mechanics and physics. Concepts such as manifolds, groups, fibre bundles and groupoids are first introduced within a purely topological framework. They are shown to be relevant to the description of space-time, configuration spaces of mechanical systems, symmetries in general, microstructure and local and distant symmetries of the constitutive response of continuous media. Once these ideas have been grasped at the topological level, the differential structure needed for the description of physical fields is introduced in terms of differentiable manifolds and principal frame bundles. These mathematical concepts are then illustrated with examples from continuum kinematics, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, Cauchy fluxes and dislocation theory. This book will be useful for researchers and graduate students in science and engineering.

After providing the necessary mathematical background needed, the book discusses kinematics, balance laws and constitutive relations for simple materials. Major emphasis is placed on discussing relatively new ideas such as material frame-indifference, the implications of the second law of themodynamics, material symmetry etc. The text shows how under suitable assumptions the classical theories of fluid mechanics, solid mechanics (including the linear theory of elasticity), and rigid-body dynamics follow from the general continuum equations. This book is intended as an advanced undergraduate (or a graduate level) textbook in continuum mechanics and its applications. NEW TO THE SECOND EDITION: A number of new topics have been discussed, some of which are: * Higher-order (in particular, fourth-order) tensors * Differentiation of tensors * Exact solutions to problems in nonlinear linearized elasticity * Components of tensors and their derivatives with respect to curvilinear coordinates * Conversion of tensorial expressions to engineering form