Ideally soft nematic elastomers (Q2642395)

The author considers energy functional of the form \[ I(u)= \int_\Omega W(Du)\,dx \] related to nematic elastomers, that are rubber-like solids with additional structural properties. The simplest model for these materials was proposed by Bladon, Terentjev and Warner and consists in taking \[ W(F)=\min\{G(F,n):|n|= 1\} \] with \[ G(F,n)=c_1 \text{tr}(L_0^{1/2}F^TL^{-1}FL_0^{1/2}) \] where \(C_1\) is a constant and the matrices \(L_0\), \(L\) depend on \(n\). The function \(W\) above is not quasiconvex, and its quasiconvex envelope was calculated in \textit{D. Helbing} et al. [Phys. Rev. E 70, 066116 (2004)] and \textit{D. Helbing} and \textit{P. Molnár} [Phys. Rev. E, 51, 4282--4286 (1995)]. In the paper under review a large class of functions \(W\) is considered, to describe nematic elastomers that exhibit ideally soft behaviour. For these functions the quasiconvex envelope is determined, and the related properties are discussed. In particular, three regimes are determined: the fluid-like, the partially fluid-like, and the hard one.