An inverse problem for a viscoelastic Timoshenko beam model (Q1381123)

The author considers the problem of identifying the relaxation kernels \(a\) and \(b\) in the viscoelastic Timoshenko thin beam model. This amounts to recovering the two functions \(a\) and \(b\) in the integrodifferential system \[ D_t^2w = k[a(0)+a'*](D_x^2w + D_x\varphi) + f_1\quad \text{in } [0,\ell]\times [0,T], \tag{1} \] \[ D_t^2\varphi = [b(0)+b'*]D_x^2\varphi - kc[a(0)+a'*](D_xw + \varphi) + f_2\quad \text{in } [0,\ell]\times [0,T], \tag{2} \] where \(g*h(t) = \int_0^t g(t-s)h(s) ds\). Moreover, the mean displacement \(w:[0,\ell]\times [0,T]\to {\mathbb R}\) and the mean angle \(\varphi:[0,\ell]\times [0,T]\to {\mathbb R}\) are subject to the initial conditions \[ w(x,0)=w_0(x),\quad D_tw(x,0)=w_1(x),\qquad x\in [0,\ell],\tag{3} \] \[ \varphi(x,0)=\varphi_0(x),\quad D_t\varphi(x,0)=\varphi_1(x),\qquad x\in [0,\ell],\tag{4} \] to the boundary conditions \[ w(0,t)=\alpha(t),\quad w(\ell,t)=\beta(t), \qquad t\in [0,T],\tag{5} \] \[ \varphi(0,t)=\gamma(t),\quad \varphi(\ell,t)=\delta(t), \qquad t\in [0,T]\tag{6} \] as well as to the additional informations \[ b(0)D_x\varphi(0,t) + b'*D_x\varphi(0,t) = g_1(t),\qquad t\in [0,T],\tag{7} \] \[ ka(0)[D_xw (0,t) + \varphi(0,t)] + a'*(D_xw+\varphi)(0,t) = g_2(t),\qquad t\in [0,T].\tag{8} \] Conditions (7) and (8) can be derived by measuring the bending moment and the shear force applied to the end \(x=0\) of the beam. \noindent Under the assumptions that the data \((f_1,f_2,w_0,w_1,\varphi_0,\varphi_1, g_1,g_2)\) are smooth enough and satisfy the basic conditions \[ m_1:=\varphi_0'(0)\neq 0,\quad m_2:=w_0'(0) + \varphi_0(0)\neq 0,\quad m_1^{-1}g_1(0) > 0,\quad m_2^{-1}g_2(0) > 0, \] the author shows that problem (1)--(6) admits a unique solution in the large \((w,\varphi,a,b)\in \{ C^3([0,T];C([0,\ell])\cap C^2([0,T]; C^1([0,\ell])\}\times C^1([0,T];C^2([0,\ell])]\times (C([0,T]))^2\) depending continuously on the data.