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Athanasios E. Tzavaras

Publications and source records attributed to Athanasios E. Tzavaras.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2015

A kinetic model for the sedimentation of rod-like particles

We consider a coupled system consisting of a kinetic equation coupled to a macroscopic Stokes (or Navier-Stokes) equation and describing the motion of a suspension of rigid rods in gravity. A reciprocal coupling leads to the formation of clusters: The buoyancy force creates a macroscopic velocity gradient that causes the microscopic particles to align so that their sedimentation reinforces the formation of clusters of higher particle density. We provide a quantitative analysis of cluster formation. We derive a nonlinear moment closure model, which consists of evolution equations for the density and second order moments and that uses the structure of spherical harmonics to suggest a closure strategy. For a rectilinear flow we employ the moment closure together with a quasi-dynamic approximation to derive an effective equation, The effective equation is an advection-diffusion equation with nonisotropic diffusion coupled to a Poisson equation, and belongs to the class of the so-called flux-limited Keller-Segel models. For shear flows, we provide an argument for the validity of the effective equation and perform numerical comparisons that indicate good agreement between the original system and the effective theory. Finally, a linear stability analysis on the moment system shows that linear theory predicts a wavelength selection mechanism for the cluster width, provided that the Reynolds number is larger than zero.

physics.flu-dyn↗
arXiv2014

Convergence of Variational Approximation Schemes for Elastodynamics with Polyconvex Energy

We consider a variational scheme developed by S. Demoulini, D. M. A. Stuart and A. E. Tzavaras [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 157 (2001)] that approximates the equations of three dimensional elastodynamics with polyconvex stored energy. We establish the convergence of the time-continuous interpolates constructed in the scheme to a solution of polyconvex elastodynamics before shock formation. The proof is based on a relative entropy estimation for the time-discrete approximants in an environment of Lp-theory bounds, and provides an error estimate for the approximation before the formation of shocks.

math.AP↗
arXiv2014

Stress relaxation models with polyconvex entropy in Lagrangean and Eulerian coordinates

The embedding of the equations of polyconvex elastodynamics to an augmented symmetric hyperbolic system provides in conjunction with the relative entropy method a robust stability framework for approximate solutions. We devise here a model of stress relaxation motivated by the format of the enlargement process which formally approximates the equations of polyconvex elastodynamics. The model is endowed with an entropy function which is not convex but rather of polyconvex type. Using the relative entropy we prove a stability estimate and convergence of the stress relaxation model to polyconvex elastodynamics in the smooth regime. As an application, we show that models of pressure relaxation for real gases in Eulerian coordinates fit into the proposed framework.

math.AP↗
arXiv2013

Singular limiting induced from continuum solutions and the problem of dynamic cavitation

In the works of K.A. Pericak-Spector and S. Spector \cite{ps88, ps98} a class of self-similar solutions are constructed for the equations of radial isotropic elastodynamics that describe cavitating solutions. Cavitating solutions decrease the total mechanical energy and provide a striking example of non-uniqueness of entropy weak solutions (for polyconvex energies) due to point-singularities at the cavity. To resolve this paradox, we introduce the concept of singular limiting induced from continuum solution (or slic-solution), according to which a discontinuous motion is a slic-solution if its averages form a family of smooth approximate solutions to the problem. It turns out that there is an energetic cost for creating the cavity, which is captured by the notion of slic-solution but neglected by the usual entropic weak solutions. Once this cost is accounted for, the total mechanical energy of the cavitating solution is in fact larger than that of the homogeneously deformed state. We also apply the notion of slic-solutions to a one-dimensional example describing the onset of fracture, and to gas dynamics in Langrangean coordinates with Riemann data inducing vacuum in the wave fan.

math.AP↗
arXiv2006

Kinetic decomposition for periodic homogenization problems

We develop an analytical tool which is adept for detecting shapes of oscillatory functions, is useful in decomposing homogenization problems into limit-problems for kinetic equations, and provides an efficient framework for the validation of multi-scale asymptotic expansions. We apply it first to a hyperbolic homogenization problem and transform it to a hyperbolic limit problem for a kinetic equation. We establish conditions determining an effective equation and counterexamples for the case that such conditions fail. Second, when the kinetic decomposition is applied to the problem of enhanced diffusion, it leads to a diffusive limit problem for a kinetic equation that in turn yields the effective equation of enhanced diffusion.

math.AP↗