Coordinate-independent representation of spins in continuum mechanics (Q1918353)

Objectivity of time rates of stress and strain is necessary to construct constitutive models; a way to achieve it is to consider this rate of changes in a rotating frame of reference. Numerical calculations may be fastidious, but if these rates and spins can be expressed in a tensorial form, some advantages can arise. For this purpose, two types of tensor equations are studied: \(AX+XA=Q\) (\(A\) -- symmetric, \(Q\) -- skew-symmetric, \(X\) -- skew, it is a spin), and \(XA-AX=S\) (\(A\), \(S\) -- symmetric tensors, \(X\) -- spin). Thus one obtains coordinate-independent representations of some spins which are used to define specific objective rates. It is shown that the symmetric part of the velocity gradient is an objective rate of logarithmic strain, thus providing an invariant expression for the underlying spin.