Microcontinuum field theories extend classical field theories to microscopic spaces and short time scales. This volume is concerned with the kinematics of microcontinua. It begins with a discussion of strain, stress tensors, balance laws, and constitutive equations, and then discusses applications of the fundamental ideas to the theory of elasticity. The ideas developed here are important in modeling the fluid or elastic properties of porous media, polymers, liquid crystals, slurries, and composite materials.

This volume extends and applies the ideas developed in Volume I, Microcontinuum Field Theories: Foundations and Solids, to liquid crystals, biological fluids and other microstretch and micomorphic fluids. It also discusses the properties of materials beyond the scope of classical field theories.

Microcontinuum field theories extend classical field theories to microscopic spaces and short time scales. This volume is concerned with the kinematics of microcontinua. It begins with a discussion of strain, stress tensors, balance laws, and constitutive equations, and then discusses applications of the fundamental ideas to the theory of elasticity. The ideas developed here are important in modeling the fluid or elastic properties of porous media, polymers, liquid crystals, slurries, and composite materials.

This comprehensive volume presents a unified framework of continuum theories. It indicates that (i) microcontinuum theories (micromorphic and micropolar theories) are natural extension of classical continuum mechanics, and (ii) classical continuum mechanics is a special case of microcontinuum theories when the deformable material point is idealized as a single mathematical point. The kinematics and basic laws are rigorously derived. Based on axiomatic approach, constitutive theory is systematically derived for various kinds of materials, ranging from Stokesian fluid to thermo-visco-elastic-plastic solid. Material force and Thermomechanical-electromagnetic coupling are introduced and discussed. Moreover, general finite element methods for large-strain thermomechanical coupling physical phenomena are systematically formulated. Also, non-classical continuum theories (Nonlocal Theory, Mechanobiology, 4D printing, Poromechanics, and Non-Self-Similar Crack Propagation) are rigorously formulated with applications and demonstrated numerically.As an advanced monograph, this unique compendium can also be used as a textbook for several graduate courses, including continuum mechanics, finite element methods, and advanced engineering science theories. Extensive problems are provided to help students to better understand the topics covered.

In their 1909 publication Théorie des corps déformables, Eugène and François Cosserat made a historic contribution to materials science by establishing the fundamental principles of the mechanics of generalized continua. The chapters collected in this volume showcase the many areas of continuum mechanics that grew out of the foundational work of the Cosserat brothers. The included contributions provide a detailed survey of the most recent theoretical developments in the field of generalized continuum mechanics and can serve as a useful reference for graduate students and researchers in mechanical engineering, materials science, applied physics and applied mathematics.

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Defects, dislocations and the general theory.- Approaches to generalized continua.- Generalized continuum modelling of crystal plasticity.- Introduction to discrete dislocation dynamics. The book contains four lectures on generalized continua and dislocation theory, reflecting the treatment of the subject at different scales. G. Maugin provides a continuum formulation of defects at the heart of which lies the notion of the material configuration and the material driving forces of in-homogeneities such as dislocations, disclinations, point defects, cracks, phase-transition fronts and shock waves. C. Sansour and S. Skatulla start with a compact treatment of linear transformation groups with subsequent excursion into the continuum theory of generalized continua. After a critical assessment a unified framework of the same is presented. The next contribution by S. Forest gives an account on generalized crystal plasticity. Finally, H. Zbib provides an account of dislocation dynamics and illustrates its fundamental importance at the smallest scale. In three contributions extensive computational results of many examples are presented.

This collection on „Mechanics of Generalized Continua - from Micromechanical Basics to Engineering Applications“ brings together leading scientists in this field from France, Russian Federation, and Germany. The attention in this publication is be focussed on the most recent research items, i.e., - new models, - application of well-known models to new problems, - micro-macro aspects, - computational effort, - possibilities to identify the constitutive equations, and - old problems with incorrect or non-satisfying solutions based on the classical continua assumptions.

Exploring the design and use of micro- and meso-actuators, this book begins with theory and a general synopsis of the state-of-the-art in theoretical research. It discusses how to employ modern approaches in research and design activity, then presents a systematic list of already available products and details their potential for use. Design possibilities based on new technologies are clearly separated from those due to scale reduction, aiding in the selection of proper technology. The author takes a multi-physic approach to guarantee a comprehensive modeling technique, while the many references to experimental data and to existing microacutators assure an effective applicability of proposed theories.