A polyconvex extension of the logarithmic Hencky strain energy

TL;DR

This paper constructs a polyconvex extension of the classical Hencky strain energy function, ensuring mathematical rigor for existence of minimizers and broadening its applicability in nonlinear elasticity.

Contribution

The authors develop a polyconvex, isotropic energy function extending the Hencky strain energy, enabling the use of classical existence theorems in elasticity.

Findings

Constructed a polyconvex energy function matching Hencky energy near identity.

Ensured coercivity for the energy function, facilitating minimizer existence.

Generalized the approach to Valanis-Landel type energy functions.

Abstract

Adapting a method introduced by Ball, Muite, Schryvers and Tirry, we construct a polyconvex isotropic energy function $W\colon\operatorname{GL^+}(n)\to\mathbb{R}$ which is equal to the classical Hencky strain energy \[ W_{\mathrm{H}}(F) = \mu\,\lVert\operatorname{dev}_n\log U\rVert^2+\frac{\kappa}{2}\,[\operatorname{tr}(\log U)]^2 = \mu\,\lVert\log U\rVert^2+\frac{\Lambda}{2}\,[\operatorname{tr}(\log U)]^2 \] in a neighborhood of the identity matrix; here, $\operatorname{GL^+}(n)$ denotes the set of $n\times n$-matrices with positive determinant, $F\in\operatorname{GL^+}(n)$ denotes the deformation gradient, $U=\sqrt{F^TF}$ is the corresponding stretch tensor, $\log U$ is the principal matrix logarithm of $U$, $\operatorname{tr}$ is the trace operator, $\lVert X\rVert$ is the Frobenius matrix norm and $\operatorname{dev}_n X$ is the deviatoric part of $X\in\mathbb{R}^{n\times n}$. The extension can also be chosen to be coercive, in which case Ball's classical theorems for the existence of energy minimizers under appropriate boundary conditions are immediately applicable. We also generalize the approach to energy functions $W_{\mathrm{VL}}$ in the so-called Valanis-Landel form \[ W_{\mathrm{VL}}(F) = \sum_{i=1}^n w(\lambda_i) \] with $w\colon(0,\infty)\to\mathbb{R}$, where $\lambda_1,\dotsc,\lambda_n$ denote the singular values of $F$.