Universal description of viscoelasticity with foliation preserving diffeomorphisms

TL;DR

This paper introduces a universal framework for describing viscoelastic systems with a single relaxation time, using foliation preserving diffeomorphisms as a symmetry to unify elastic and fluid behaviors.

Contribution

It proposes a novel symmetry-based approach that interpolates between elasticity and fluidity, providing a first-order dynamic description for viscoelastic systems.

Findings

Foliation preserving diffeomorphisms unify elastic and fluid regimes.

The symmetry constrains the first-order strain dynamics.

A universal description for systems with a single relaxation time.

Abstract

A universal description is proposed for generic viscoelastic systems with a single relaxation time. Foliation preserving diffeomorphisms are introduced as an underlying symmetry which naturally interpolates between the two extreme limits of elasticity and fluidity. The symmetry is found to be powerful enough to determine the dynamics in the first order of strains.