Shape memory alloys as gradient-polyconvex materials

Abstract

We show existence of an energetic solution to a model of shape memory alloys in which the elastic energy is described by means of a gradient-polyconvex functional. This allows us to show existence of a solution based on weak continuity of nonlinear minors of deformation gradients in Sobolev spaces. Resulting deformations are orientation-preserving and injective everywhere in a domain representing the specimen.