Feedback stabilization of a Timoshenko beam with an end mass (Q4259097)

The purpose of this very important paper is to study the boundary feedback stabilization problem of a hybrid system, which is composed of a Timoshenko beam linked at its end to a rigid load. The transversed displacement \(w(x,t)\) and the total rotary angle of the elastic beam are described by the Timoshenko equations (a set of coupled ordinary and partial differential equations): \[ \begin{cases} \rho{\partial^2w\over\partial t^2}- K{\partial^2w\over\partial x^2}+ K{\partial\varphi\over\partial x}= 0,\qquad 0\leq x\leq 1,\;t>0,\\ I_\rho{\partial^2\varphi\over\partial t^2}- EI{\partial^2\varphi\over\partial x^2}+ K(\varphi- {\partial w\over\partial x})= 0\end{cases} \] with the following boundary conditions: \[ \begin{cases} w(0,t)= 0,\quad \varphi(0,t)= 0,\\ K\varphi(1,t)- Kw'(1,t)- M\ddot w(1,t)= u_1(t),\\ -EI\varphi'(1, t)- J\ddot\varphi(1, t)= u_2(t),\end{cases} \] where \(u_1(t)\) and \(u_2(t)\) are the control force and the moment to the ends of the beam, respectively. The authors present a precise study of the asymptotic stability and exponential stability of a Timoshenko beam with an end mass by using certain nonlinear boundary feedbacks, respectively. The main result is the following: The general nonlinear boundary feedback control is proposed, the solution to the corresponding closed-loop system is given with the nonlinear semigroup method and the asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system is obtained by virtue of LaSalle's invariance principle. Finally, two linear feedback control laws are proposed and it is shown that the energy of the corresponding closed-loop system decays uniformly.