On electromagnetic potentials for some models of magnetic hysteresis (Q1103786)

We study electromagnetic potentials (free energy and enthalpy) for some simple models of ferromagnetic materials exhibiting hysteresis loops and obeying constitutive equations of rate type (1), (34). For the sake of simplicity, mechanical and electric effects are ignored and isothermal conditions are assumed. Involving thermodynamic arguments of \textit{B. D. Coleman} and \textit{D. R. Owen} [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 54, 1-104 (1974; Zbl 0306.73004)] we show the existence of a convex set of lower- potentials whose minimum and maximum elements are explicitly constructed as functions of state. Finally, some problems on state-space representation and convexity of various lower-potentials are discussed.