The problem of the structure of a discontinuity in a strain-hardening plastic medium (Q918247)

The problem of the structure of a velocity jump in an incompressible, strain-hardening viscoplastic material is considered, taking thermal effects into account. It is shown that a continuous solution of the problem does not always exist. At low viscosity a continuous solution exists only when the discontinuity v propagates at low velocities. It is established that when the viscosity tends to zero the limiting solution may, under specific conditions, contain an isothermal velocity jump. In another limiting case, however, when the thermal conductivity tends to zero (adiabatic flow), a continuous solution exists for large values of v.