Global solutions of a model of phase transitions for dissipative thermoviscoelastic materials

Abstract

We analyze a highly nonlinear system of partial differential equations that may be seen as a model for solidification or melting of certain viscoelastic materials subject to thermal effects; under the assumption that solid parts of the material may support damped vibrations. Phase change is controlled by a phase field equation with a potential including barriers at the pure solid and pure liquid states.

Keywords

• Nonlinear PDE system
• degenerate PDE system
• global solutions
• uniqueness
• phase transitions
• thermoviscoelastic materials