Non-linear hydrodynamics of incommensurate intergrowth compounds and quasicrystals

Abstract

Hamiltonian structures for non-linear hydrodynamics of incommensurate intergrowth compounds (IIC) and quasicrystals (IQ) are constructed. We discuss also the way to account for internal friction of phason nature. We show that the existence of a self-force in IIC and IQ is not only matter of constitutive issues, rather it is related with questions of SO(3) invariance. The covariant mechanics of discontinuity surfaces in quasiperiodic structures is also analyzed. The attention is mainly focused on the interaction between `diffuse' grain boundaries and sharp discontinuity (moving possibly) surfaces.