Radial deformation of a nonhomogeneous spherically isotropic elastic sphere with a concentric spherical inclusion

The elasticity of a spherically isotropic medium bounded by two concentric spherical surfaces subjected to normal pressures is discussed. The material of the structure is spherically isotropic and, in addition, is continuously inhomogeneous with mechanical properties varying exponentially as the square of the radius. An exact solution of the problem in terms of Whittaker functions is presented. The St. Venant’s solution in the case of homogeneous material and Lamé’s solution in the case of homogeneous isotropic material are derived from the general solution. The problem of a solid sphere of the same medium under the external pressure is also solved as a particular case of the above problem. Finally, the displacements and stresses of a composite sphere consisting of a solid spherical body made of homogeneous material and a nonhomogeneous concentric spherical shell covering the inclusion, both of them being spherically isotropic, are obtained when the sphere is under uniform compression.