Global existence for thermomechanical processes with nonconvex free energies of Ginzburg-Landau form (Q914061)

Global existence of solutions is proved for the system of partial differential equations \[ u_{tt}-(F_ 1(\Theta)F'_ 2(\epsilon)+F'_ 3(\epsilon))_ x+\gamma u_{xxxx}=f(x,t)\text{ in } \Omega_ T, \] \[ - \Theta (F''_ 0(\Theta)+F''_ 1(\Theta)F_ 2(\epsilon))\Theta_ t- \Theta F'_ 1(\Theta)F'_ 2(\epsilon)\epsilon_ t- K\Theta_{xx}=g(x,t)\text{ in } \Omega_ T, \] \[ \epsilon =u_ x\text{ in } {\bar \Omega}_ T;\quad \Omega =(0,1),\quad \Omega_ T=\Omega \times (0,t)\text{ for } t>0, \] with certain initial and boundary conditions. This system governs the nonlinear thermomechanical processes in a nonviscous solid under the assumption that the corresponding free energy density is of the form \[ F(\epsilon,\epsilon_ x,\Theta)=F_ 0(\Theta)+F_ 1(\Theta)F_ 2(\epsilon)+F_ 3(\epsilon)+(\gamma /2)\epsilon^ 2_ x. \] The physical meanings of the involved quantities are: u displacement, f density of loads, g density of heat sources or sinks, \(\Theta\) absolute temperature, \(\epsilon\) strain, \(K>0\) constant heat conductivity, \(\gamma >0\) constant.