This 1980 monograph develops from first principles the description of finite deformations of solids under stress and the forces acting, and also the expression of internal forces in terms of stress tensors. The important feature of the book is that elastic properties are discussed and developed consistently from classical thermodynamics. In other books, this point of view is acknowledged only by assuming the existence of an elastic energy function, thus restricting their range mainly to the problem of the spatial distribution of stresses and strains. Topics discussed as applications of the theory include thermal expansion, specific heats, stiffness and complicances, the effects of symmetry on thermodynamic properties, diffusion in a stressed solid, equilibrium in contact with a solution of the solid, phase stability, solid state phase transitions and twinning.

Aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students, this book provides a clear unified view of continuum mechanics that will be a welcome addition to the literature. Samuel Paolucci provides a well-grounded mathematical structure and also gives the reader a glimpse of how this material can be extended in a variety of directions, furnishing young researchers with the necessary tools to venture into brand new territory. Particular emphasis is given to the roles that thermodynamics and symmetries play in the development of constitutive equations for different materials. Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Matter is ideal for a one-semester course in continuum mechanics, with 250 end-of-chapter exercises designed to test and develop the reader's understanding of the concepts covered. Six appendices enhance the material further, including a comprehensive discussion of the kinematics, dynamics and balance laws applicable in Riemann spaces.

Offers a treatment of applied surface dynamics in relation to contact angles and surface tensions, providing a foundation for the subject and detailed presentations of recent techniques. The work supplies a theoretical framework for the study and measurement of surface tensions and contact angles, and acts as a day-to-day guide for laboratory pract

Iterative comparison of analytical results and natural observations with predictions of numerical models improves interpretation of geological processes. Further refinements derive from wide-angle comparison of results from various scales of study. In this volume, advances from field, laboratory and modelling approaches to tectonic evolution - from the lithosphere to the rock scale - are compared. Constructive use is made of apparently discrepant or non-consistent results from analytical or methodological approaches in processing field or laboratory data, P-T estimates, absolute or relative age determinations of tectonic events, tectonic unit size in crustal-scale deformation, grain-scale deformation processes, various modelling approaches, and numerical techniques. Advances in geodynamic modelling critically depend on new insights into grain- and subgrain-scale deformation processes. Conversely, quantitative models help to identify which rheological laws and pa-rameters exert the strongest control on multi-scale deformation up to lithosphere and upper mantle scale

From the reviews: "The book is excellent, and covers a very broad area (usually treated as separate topics) from a unified perspective. [...] It will be very useful for both mathematicians and physicists." EMS Newsletter

This is a book on seismology dealing with advanced aspects of wave propagation in complex media. It can also be viewed as a book on mathematical modelling, wherein the accuracy of describing seismic phenomena exemplifies the modelling itself. The book gives an insight into the power of abstractness by applying the same mathematical methods and strategies to solve a variety of different physical problems. This book covers a broad range of topics in an advanced yet accessible manner. Each chapter is accompanied by a number of solved exercises, which render the book convenient for a lecturer and facilitate its use for an independent study. The details of mathematical methods are discussed in the appendices, which form a substantial portion of the book.