Continua with partially constrained microstructure

Abstract

The mechanical balance equations for a body with microstructure are derived from an expansion of the general Noll’s axiom of frame-indifference that takes into account the behavior of measures of microstructural interactions. Next, we introduce perfect internal constraints and adopt an extended determinism principle to analyze the consequences of their presence. Finally, we define the class of continua with partially constrained microstructure to give a complete dynamical description for a broad family of peculiar materials such as suspensions of rigid rotating granules, pseudo-Cosserat continua and partially constrained micro-spins.