On the emergence and propagation of a phase boundary in an elastic bar with a suddenly applied end load (Q1064152)

This paper is concerned with the dynamical analysis of an elastic bar whose stress-strain relation is not monotonic. For a special class of these materials, an initial-boundary value problem in one dimension is considered for a semi-infinite bar whose end is subjected to a monotonically increasing load. If the load is sufficiently high, a strain discontinuity - or phase boundary - emerges at the end of the bar and subsequently propagates into the interior. Its trajectory is governed by a pair of differential-delay equations. An analysis of this system for short times provides an asymptotic description of the emergence of the phase boundary. For large-times a different analysis indicates that the phase boundary velocity approaches a constant. Conditions are deduced which determine whether this boundary eventually becomes the leading disturbances.