Mathematical models for nonlocal elastic composite materials

Abstract

Abstract In this paper we derive and solve nonlocal elasticity a model describing the elastic behavior of composite materials, involving the fractional Laplacian operator. In dimension one we consider in (($\mathcal{D}$)) the case of a nonlocal elastic rod restrained at the ends, and we completely solve the problem showing the existence of a unique weak solution and providing natural sufficient conditions under which this solution is actually a classical solution of the problem. For the model (($\mathcal{D}$)) we also perform numerical simulations and a parametric analysis, in order to highlight the response of the rod, in terms of displacements and strains, according to different values of the mechanical characteristics of the material. The main novelty of this approach is the extension of the central difference method by the numerical estimate of the fractional Laplacian operator through a finite-difference quadrature technique. For higher dimensions N ≥ 2 {N\geq 2} we study more general problems for which the existence of weak solutions is proved via variational methods. The obtained results provide an original contribute in the knowledge of composite materials with properties of nonlocal elasticity.