Transition to detonation in dynamic phase changes (Q1322050)

The paper deals with the propagation of longitudinal plane waves in nonlinear hyperelastic solids in which stress-strain relation is not monotonically increasing. Therefore the governing equation becomes of the mixed type within a certain finite interval of displacement gradient. The main problem under investigation is the propagation of a surface of discontinuity across which displacement gradient suffers a finite jump, which can be interpreted as a phase transition. It is shown that, under certain conditions, subsonically moving phase boundaries, which are called kinks, do exist. Mostly algebraic expressions are ingeniously treated and the properties of the alternative solution, whenever it exists, are revealed in great detail. The stability of kinks with respect to the splitting into a sequence of waves is also studied.