Identification of Microstructural Components of Bitumen by Means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)

Accounting for the large variation of asphalt mixes, resulting from variations of constituents and composition, and from the allowance of additives, a multiscale model for asphalt is currently developed at the Christian Doppler Laboratory for “Performance‐based optimization of flexible road pavements”. The multiscale concept allows to relate macroscopic material properties of asphalt to phenomena and material properties of finer scales of observation. Starting with the characterization of the finest scale, i.e., the bitumen‐scale, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is employed. Depending on the mode of measurement (tapping versus pulsed‐force mode), the AFM provides insight into the surface topography or stiffness and adhesion properties of bitumen. The obtained results will serve as input for upscaling in the context of the multiscale model in order to obtain the homogenized material behavior of bitumen at the next‐higher scale, i.e., the mastic‐scale. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Homogenization of a viscoelastic matrix in linear frictional contact

The paper is devoted to study of acoustic wave propagation in a partially consolidated composite material containing loose particles. Friction of particles against the consolidated part of the material causes mechanical energy dissipation. This situation is modelled by assuming that the medium has a periodic microstructure changing rapidly on the small scale ε. Each of the periodic microscopic cells is composed of a viscoelastic matrix containing a rigid particle in frictional contact with the matrix. We use the methods of two‐scale convergence to obtain effective acoustic equations for the homogenized material. The effective equations are history‐dependent and contain the body force term, reminiscent of the well‐known Stokes drag force. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A practical method for computing the largest M‐eigenvalue of a fourth‐order partially symmetric tensor

In this paper, we consider a bi‐quadratic homogeneous polynomial optimization problem over two unit spheres arising in nonlinear elastic material analysis and in entanglement studies in quantum physics. The problem is equivalent to computing the largest M‐eigenvalue of a fourth‐order tensor. To solve the problem, we propose a practical method whose validity is guaranteed theoretically. To make the sequence generated by the method converge to a good solution of the problem, we also develop an initialization scheme. The given numerical experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pullback attractors for nonautonomous 2D Bénard problem in some unbounded domains

In this paper, we study the 2D Bénard problem, a system with the Navier–Stokes equations for the velocity field coupled with a convection–diffusion equation for the temperature, in an arbitrary domain (bounded or unbounded) satisfying the Poincaré inequality with nonhomogeneous boundary conditions and nonautonomous external force and heat source. The existence of a weak solution to the problem is proved by using the Galerkin method. We then show the existence of a unique minimal finite‐dimensional pullback D_σ‐attractor for the process associated to the problem. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lie group transformations for self‐similar shocks in a gas with dust particles

In this paper, Lie group of transformation method is used to investigate the self‐similar solutions for the system of partial differential equations describing one‐dimensional unsteady plane flow of an inviscid gas with large number of small dust particles. The forms of the drag force D and the heat transfer rate Q experienced by the particle not in equilibrium with the gas have been derived for which the system of equations admits self‐similar solutions. A particular solution to the problem in one case have been found out and is used to study the effect of the dust particles on the similarity exponent. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Double‐mode modeling of nonlinear flexural vibration analysis for a symmetric rectangular honeycomb sandwich thin panel by the homotopy analysis method

Nonlinear flexural vibration of a symmetric rectangular honeycomb sandwich thin panel with simply supported along all four edges is studied in this paper. The nonlinear governing equations of the symmetric rectangular honeycomb sandwich panel subjected to transverse excitations are simplified to a set of two ordinary differential equations by the Galerkin method. Based on the homotopy analysis method, the average equations of the primary resonance and harmonic resonance are obtained. The influence of structural parameters, the transverse exciting force amplitude, and transverse damping to the symmetric rectangular honeycomb sandwich panel are discussed by using the analytic approximation method. Compared with the results obtained by single‐mode modeling technique, the results obtained by double‐mode modeling technique change the softening and hardening nonlinear characteristics when Ω ≈ ω₁, ω₁/3, and ω₂/3.     

Lp‐boundedness and topological structure of solutions for flexible structural systems

This work deals with L^p‐boundedness of mild solutions for an abstract version of the damped wave equation u^′′+αu^′′′=βΔu + γΔu′+f that models the vibrations of flexible structures possessing internal material damping and external force f. We prove that the set consisting of mild solutions for this problem is compact and connected in the space of continuous functions. This property is known in the literature as the Kneser's property. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Partial Fourier approximation of the Lamé equations in axisymmetric domains

In this paper, we study the partial Fourier method for treating the Lamé equations in three‐dimensional axisymmetric domains subjected to non‐axisymmetric loads. We consider the mixed boundary value problem of the linear theory of elasticity with the displacement û , the body force f̂ ϵ (L₂)³ and homogeneous Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. The partial Fourier decomposition reduces, without any error, the three‐dimensional boundary value problem to an infinite sequence of two‐dimensional boundary value problems, whose solutions û _n (n = 0, 1, 2,…) are the Fourier coefficients of û . This process of dimension reduction is described, and appropriate function spaces are given to characterize the reduced problems in two dimensions. The trace properties of these spaces on the rotational axis and some properties of the Fourier coefficients û _n are proved, which are important for further numerical treatment, e.g. by the finite‐element method. Moreover, generalized completeness relations are described for the variational equation, the stresses and the strains. The properties of the resulting system of two‐dimensional problems are characterized. Particularly, a priori estimates of the Fourier coefficients û _n and of the error of the partial Fourier approximation are given. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Convergence proof of the velocity field for a stokes flow immersed boundary method

The immersed boundary (IB) method is a computational framework for problems involving the interaction of a fluid and immersed elastic structures. It is characterized by the use of a uniform Cartesian mesh for the fluid, a Lagrangian curvilinear mesh on the elastic material, and discrete delta functions for communication between the two grids. We consider a simple IB problem in a two‐dimensional periodic fluid domain with a one‐dimensional force generator. We obtain error estimates for the velocity field of the IB solution for the stationary Stokes problem. We use this result to prove convergence of a simple small‐amplitude dynamic problem. We test our error estimates against computational experiments. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Leading term at infinity of steady Navier‐Stokes flow around a rotating obstacle

Consider a viscous incompressible flow around a body in $\mathbb R^3$ rotating with constant angular velocity ω. Using a coordinate system attached to the body, the problem is reduced to a modified Navier‐Stokes system in a fixed exterior domain. This paper addresses the question of the asymptotic behavior of stationary solutions to the new system as |x| → ∞. Under a suitable smallness assumption on the velocity field, u, and the net force on the boundary, N, we prove that the leading term of u is the so‐called Landau solution U, a singular solution of the stationary Navier‐Stokes system in $\mathbb R^3$ with external force kωδ₀ and decaying as 1/|x|; here $k\in \mathbb R$ is a suitable constant determined by N and δ₀ is the Dirac measure supported in the origin.     

Adaptive coupling of boundary elements and mixed finite elements for incompressible elasticity

The coupling of finite elements and boundary elements is analyzed, where in the FEM domain we assume an incompressible elastic material governed by a uniformly monotone operator and use a Stokes‐type mixed FEM. In the BEM domain, linear elasticity is considered. We prove existence and uniqueness of the solution and quasi‐optimal convergence of a Galerkin method. We derive an a posteriori error estimator of explicit residual type. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 17: 79–92, 2001     

On parallel solution of linear elasticity problems. Part II: Methods and some computer experiments

This is the second part of a trilogy on parallel solution of the linear elasticity problem. We consider the plain case of the problem with isotropic material, including discontinuous coefficients, and with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition. The discretized problem is solved by the preconditioned conjugate gradient (pcg) method. In the first part of the trilogy block‐diagonal preconditioners based on the separate displacement component part of the elasticity equations were analysed. The preconditioning systems were solved by the pcg‐method, i.e. inner iterations were performed. As preconditioner, we used modified incomplete factorization MIC(0), where possibly the element matrices were modified in order to give M‐matrices, i.e. in order to guarantee the existence of the MIC(0) factorization. In the present paper, the second part, full block incomplete factorization preconditioners are presented and analysed. In order to avoid inner/outer iterations we also study a variant of the block‐diagonal method and of the full block method, where the matrices of the inner systems are just replaced by their MIC(0)‐factors. A comparison is made between the various methods with respect to rate of convergence and work per unknown. The fastest methods are implemented by message passing utilizing the MPI system. In the third part of the trilogy, we will focus on the use of higher‐order finite elements. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On Configurational-Force-Driven Crack Propagation and Adaptive Mesh Refinement in Finite Inelasticity

We introduce a consistent variational framework for inelasticity at finite strains, yielding dual balances in physical and material space as the Euler equations. The formulation is employed for the simultaneous usage of configurational forces as both driving forces for crack propagation as well as h-adaptive mesh refinement. The theoretical basis builds upon a global balance of internal and external power, where the mechanical response is exclusively governed by two scalar functions, the free energy function and a dissipation potential. The resulting variational structure is exploited in the context of fracture mechanics and yields evolution equations for internal variables. In the discrete setting, we present a geometry model fully separated from the finite element mesh structure that represents structural changes of the material configuration due to crack propagation. Advanced meshing algorithms provide an optimal discretization at the crack tip. Local and global criteria are obtained via error estimators based on configurational forces being interpreted as indicators of an energetic misfit due to an insufficient discretization. The numerical handling is decomposed into a staggered algorithm scheme for the dual set of equilibrium equations in material and physical space and efficient mesh generation tools. Exemplary numerical examples are considered to illustrate the method and to underline the effects of inelastic material behaviour in the presented context. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On Saint‐Venant's principle in a poroelastic arch‐like region

In this paper we consider the state of plane strain in an elastic material with voids occupying a curvilinear strip as an arch‐like region described by R: a<r<b, 0<θ<ω, where r and θ are polar coordinates and a, b, and ω (<2π) are prescribed positive constants. Such a curvilinear strip is maintained in equilibrium under self‐equilibrated traction and equilibrated force applied on one of the edges, whereas the other three edges are traction free and subjected to zero volumetric fraction or zero equilibrated force. In fact, we study the case when one right or curved edge is loaded. Our aim is to derive some explicit spatial estimates describing how some appropriate measures of a specific Airy stress function and volume fraction evolve with respect to the distance to the loaded edge. The results of the present paper prove how the spatial decay rate varies with the constitutive profile. For the problem corresponding to a loaded right edge, we are able to establish an exponential decay estimate with respect to the angle θ. Whereas for the problem corresponding to a loaded curved edge, we establish an algebraical spatial decay with respect to the polar distance r, provided the angle ω is lower than the critical value $\pi\sqrt{2}$. The intended applications of these results concern various branches of medicine as for example the bone implants. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large time behavior for the non‐isentropic Navier–Stokes–Maxwell system

In this paper, we are concerned with the system of the non‐isentropic compressible Navier–Stokes equations coupled with the Maxwell equations through the Lorentz force in three space dimensions. The global existence of solutions near constant steady states is established, and the time‐decay rates of perturbed solutions are obtained. The proof for existence is due to the classical energy method, and the investigation of large‐time behavior is based on the linearized analysis of the non‐isentropic Navier–Stokes–Poisson equations and the electromagnetic part for the linearized isentropic Navier–Stokes–Maxwell equations. In the meantime, the time‐decay rates obtained by Zhang, Li, and Zhu [J. Differential Equations, 250(2011), 866‐891] for the linearized non‐isentropic Navier–Stokes–Poisson equations are improved. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Global existence and asymptotic behavior for the compressible Navier–Stokes equations with a non‐autonomous external force and a heat source

In this paper, we prove the global existence and asymptotic behavior, as time tends to infinity, of solutions in Hⁱ (i=1, 2) to the initial boundary value problem of the compressible Navier–Stokes equations of one‐dimensional motion of a viscous heat‐conducting gas in a bounded region with a non‐autonomous external force and a heat source. Some new ideas and more delicate estimates are used to prove these results. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Debye Sources,Beltrami Fields,and a Complex Structure on Maxwell Fields

The Debye source representation for solutions to the time‐harmonic Maxwell equations is extended to bounded domains with finitely many smooth boundary components. A strong uniqueness result is proved for this representation. Natural complex structures are identified on the vector spaces of time‐harmonic Maxwell fields. It is shown that these complex structures are uniformized by the Debye source representation, that is, represented by a fixed linear map on a fixed vector space, independent of the frequency. This complex structure relates time‐harmonic Maxwell fields to constant‐k Beltrami fields, i.e., solutions of the equation A family of self‐adjoint boundary conditions are defined for the Beltrami operator. This leads to a proof of the existence of zero‐flux, constant‐k, force‐free Beltrami fields for any bounded region in ?³, as well as a constructive method to find them. The family of self‐adjoint boundary value problems defines a new spectral invariant for bounded domains in ?³.© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

About regularity issues regarding a magnetic force formula

The continuum limit of the magnetic force in a discrete configuration of dipoles on a Bravais lattice is known in the case of domains with C²‐boundaries. Since magnetic domains are often observed to have corners and are therefore not C2, it is interesting to extend the known result to the case of domains that have piecewise C²‐boundaries. Here, a sketch of the proof is given. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Integer Cech cohomology of a class of n‐dimensional substitutions

A class of non‐periodic tilings in n‐dimensions is considered. They are based on one‐dimensional substitution tilings that force the border, a property preserved in the construction for higher dimensions. This fact allows to compute the integer?ech cohomology of the tiling spaces in an efficient way. Several examples are analyzed, some of them with PV numbers as inflation factors, and they have finitely or infinitely generated torsion‐free cohomologies. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.