An extensible beam equation with a stochastic force of a white noise type is studied, Lyapunov functions techniques being used to prove existence of global mild solutions and asymptotic stability of the zero solution.
IntroductionThe nonlinear beam equation1) was proposed by S. Woinowsky-Krieger [34] as a model for the transversal deflection of an extensible beam of natural length l, having the ends fixed at the support, under an axial force. In [11] it was shown that the properties of solutions to (0.1) may be related to the phenomenon of dynamic buckling. An equation in two space variables, analogous to (0.1), has been discussed as a model of nonlinear oscillations of a plate in a supersonic flow of gas (see [9], Chapter 4, and the references therein). (For the physical background, the papers [14], [29] or [18] may be also consulted.) It is not obvious that solutions to (0.1) do not blow up at finite time, however, the equation (0.1) as well as its abstract version discussed below have already attracted considerable attention and their properties are rather well understood nowadays. Let us quote at least the papers [1], [24], [16], [32], [20] and [33], in which nonexplosion results and further references may be found. Motivated by problems arising in aeroelasticity (the description of large amplitude vibrations of an elastic panel excited by aerodynamic forces), Chow and Menaldi in [8] considered a beam described by the equation (0.1) and subjected to