Basic knowledge of statistical thermodynamics, vector calculus, differential equations and complex analysis is required.
General Principles and Concepts 1. Introduction: background and motivation 2. Mathematical preliminaries: tensor analysis 3. Motion, deformation and stress 4. Conservation laws, the laws of thermodynamics and objectivity Constitutive laws: the physics that comes after thermodynamics 5. Reversible Processes: Non-dissipative Constitutive Behaviors -Linear elasticity and thermo-elasticity -Finite (nonlinear) elasticity -Instabilities 6. Irreversible processes: Dissipative constitutive behaviors -Visco-elasticity -Plasticity -Non-equilibrium internal variables thermodynamics Amorphous solids 7. The emergence of solidity and the glass transition puzzle Dissipative Phenomena in Solids 8. Fracture mechanics 9. Point defects and dislocations The power of field theory as a mathematical structure that does not make direct reference to microscopic length scales well below those of the phenomenon of interest will be highlighted. Together with courses on fluid mechanics and soft condensed matter, a broad background and understanding of continuum physics will be established.
Upon successful completion of this course students will: [1] Understand the essentials of modern continuum physics, with a focus on solid mechanics and within a thermodynamic perspective, and to formulate physical problems within this framework. [2] Be acquainted with general concepts and principles and will be exposed to examples that cover a wide range of physical phenomena and applications in diverse disciplines. [3] Be able to use the concepts and tooled introduced in the course in their future studies and research in a broad range of scientific fields.
Extended lecture notes will be weekly distributed. They can be downloaded from the course website:
http://www.weizmann.ac.il/chemphys/bouchbinder/courses-0