Elastic Energy of an Ellipsoidal Inclusion in an Infinite Solid

Kenneth Robinson

Citation: J. Appl. Phys. 22, 1045 (1951); doi: 10.1063/1.1700099

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JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS VOLUME 22, NUMBER 8 AUGUST, 1951

Elastic Energy of an Ellipsoidal Inclusion in an Infinite Solid*

KENNETH ROBINSON
Col11mbia University, New York, New York
(Received March 7, 1951)

An exact solution in closed form is presented for the displacements, stresses and total elastic energy for
the problem of an ellipsoidal isotropic inclusion bonded to an isotropic body of infinite extent when the in-
clusion and the infinite solid have uniformly distributed changes in their stress-free specific volumes. The
physically important details of the dependence of the total strain energy of the two materials upon the shape
and volume of the inclusion, the elastic moduli of the two isotropic materials and the changes of specific
volume, are included. The solution is indicated for the stresses and displacements for the case where the ma-
terial at infinity is, in addition to the above condition, in a homogeneous state of stress whose principal
directions are parallel to the axes of the cavity.

NOMENCLATURE Goodier's method to the semi-infinite matrix and solved

r=position vector. the problem of the spherical inclusion. Except for the
u, u'=displacement vectors for ex- simple problems of the sphere and circular cylinder in
terior and interior; respec- the infinite matrix, there appear to be only two exact
tively. solutions for the case where the inclusion and the
lJl", lJl"1 = stress dyadics for exterior and matrix have different elastic properties. These are by
interior, respectively. Mindlin and Cooper4 for the elliptic cylinder, and
G,G' = shear moduli for exterior and Edwards 5 for the spheroidal inclusion. Nabarr06 has
interior, respectively. made approximate studies and has drawn qualitative
v, v' = Poisson's ratio for exterior and conclusions in connection with the influence of the shape
interior, respectively. of the inclusion on the elastic energy. The main pur-
fiT, E'T=dimensionless products of the poses of this paper are to present the exact solution for
coefficient of expansion and the ellipsoidal inclusion and to draw quantitative con-
temperature changes for ex- clusions regarding the influence of its shape on the
terior, and interior, respec- elastic energy.
tively. We consider an ellipsoidal inclusion bonded (i.e.,
(1"1, (12, (1"3; el, ez, e3= principal stresses and strains at continuous displacement and tractions across the inter-
infinity. face) to a body of infinite extent. The inclusion, hence-
(1"1"
l
(1"2" (1"a'; e/, ez', ea = principal stresses and strains in forth called the interior, and the surrounding body,
inclusion. henceforth called the exterior, are of different homo-
a, b, c= semiaxes of ellipsoidal inclu- geneous isotropic elastic materials whose elastic moduli
sion a>b>c. do not change with temperature. It is assumed that the
P1=b/a, P2=c/b=shape ratios of ellipsoidal in- bodies are under no initial stress when at a uniform
clusion. common temperature, which is assumed zero for con-
venience. The temperature of the two bodies is changed,
1. INTRODUCTION within the limits of linear elasticity, to a uniform tem-

SOLUTIONS of the equations of elasticity pertaining

to the effects of change of specific volume of in-
clusions of various shapes and elastic properties have
been considered by a number of authors. Goodierl has
reduced to a standard problem in potential theory the
general case of an inclusion of arbitrary shape em-
bedded in an infinite matrix subject to the restriction
that the inclusion and the matrix have the same elastic
properties. Applications of Goodier's theory to the
spheroidal and semi-infinite cylindrical inclusions were
made by Mykelstad. 2 Mindlin and Chenga extended
* Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Joint Committee on
Graduate Instruction, Columbia University, New York, New
York.
1 J. N. Goodier, Phil. Mag., Ser. 7,23, 1017-1032 (1937). .
2 N. O. Mykelstad, J. App!. Mech. 9, A136--143 (1942).
JR. D. Mindlin and D. H. Cheng, ]. AppL Phys. 21, 931-933
(1950).
1045
perature T so that the stress free strains of the interior
and exterior are e'T and eT respectively. (Ii', E are the
coefficients of linear expansion.) If the interior and the
exterior are subjected to uniform changes in their
stress-free specific volumes, such that the above given
stress free strains are present, the problem is identical.
An exact solution in closed form for the displacements,
stresses and total elastic strain energy of the two bodies,
together with a discussion of the physically important
4 R. D. Mindlin andH. ]. Cooper, J. App!. Mech. 17, 265-268
(1950).
• R. H. Edwards "Stress concentration around spheroidal in-
clusions and cavities," Paper No. S()"APM-20, presented at the
Annual Conference of the Applied Mechanics Division of the
Am. Soc. Mech. Engrs., Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana,
(June 1950).
• F. R. N. Nabarro, Proc. Phys. Soc. London 52, 90-93 (1950).
F. R. N. Nabarro, Proc. Roy. Soc. (London), Series A, 175, 519-538
(1940).

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1046 KENNETH ROBINSON

details of the strain energy are presented in this paper. 2. TOTAL STRAIN ENERGY OF INCLUSION
The solution of the more general problem of the in- AND INFINITE SOLIDs
finite material subjected to uniform tensions at in- Consider the inclusion and its matrix in their final
finity in addition to the above conditions, is also in- states (i.e., at a homogeneous temperature T) with a
dicated. distribution of traction acting on the surface "S" of the
It was noted by Mindlin and Cooper' that the stress inclusion and displacements (u-eTr), (u'-e'Tr) of
in the interior of the elliptic cylinder was homogeneous the exterior and interior, measured from the unstressed
when the cylinder and matrix were subjected to a final temperature states. The strain energy of the ex-
homogeneous change in temperature. The assumption, terior and interior are as follows:
later verified, of homogeneity of stress in the interior
of the ellipsoid provided a means for generalizing the Strain energy of exterior
results of Sadowsky and Sternberg. 7 Somewhile after
the problem was solved, the pUblication of Edwards'
papers showed this same homogeneity of stress to
=~ f i (u-eTr)·W·ndS (2.oi)

exist in the spheroidal inclusion. Strain energy of interior

The cartesian coordinate axes are chosen coincident
with the principal axes of the ellipsoid whose surface
is then given by
=~f i (u'-e'Tr)·W'·n'dS, (2.02)

(1.01) where the region of integration is the surface of the

ellipsoid. The total strain energy W, obtained by sum-
where a, b, c, satisfy the relations a>b>c>O. ming Eqs. (2.01) and (2.02) and then utilizing Eqs.
In the absence of body forces the thermoelastic equa- (1.08) and (1.09) as well as the constancy of (eT - e'T),
tions of equilibrium in terms of displacement for both is given by
regions are
(1- 2v)V'2u+ V'V'. U= 2(1 +v)V'(eT) (1.02) W=HeT-e'T) f fs r·W'·n'dS. (2.03)

(1- 2v')V'2u' + V'V'. u' = 2(1 +v')V'(e'T), (1.03)

Transformation of the surface integral by Green's
with the stress and strain dyadics related by theorem and the identity 9

W= G[V'u+uV'] V· (W· V)= (V· '1") . V+ W:~V (2.04)

+[G/1- 2v ][2vV'· u- (1 +v)eT]I, (1.04) results in

W' = G'[V'u' + u'V']

+[G'/1- 2v'][2v'V' ·u' - (1 +v')e'T]I, (1.05
W=HeT-e'T) f Ivf (V·W')·r+W':IdV (2.05)

where I is the idemfactor and where the integration extends over the interior region.
In the absence of body force, the equilibrium equation
in terms of stress is
V .'1'" =0 (2.06)
and the remainder of the integrand is
'1"': 1= 0"/+0"2'+0"3'= 0' (2.07)
The traction acting at a point on a surface with normal
n is given by so that the total elastic energy is given by
T=W·n (1.07)
so that for the problem under consideration the boundary
W=HeT-e'T) f f Iv O'dV. (2.08)

conditions are
When the sum of the principal stresses 0' (first invariant
W'·n'= -W·u on ellipsoidal surface, (1.08) of the stress dyadic) is constant in the interior, the
total strain energy is given by
u'=u on ellipsoidal surface, (1.09)
W=HeT-e'T)O'V (2.09)
W=O when Irl = 00, (LlO)
where V is the volume of the inclusion.
where n', n are the exterior and interior normals of the
S The development of this section is essentially that given by
ellipsoid. W. Thornton Read, Jr. in a private communication.
9 For Green's theorem and the identity (2.04), see C. E.
7 M. A. Sadowsky and E. Sternberg, J App!. Mech. 16, 149-157 Weatherburn, Advanced Vector Analysis (G. Bell and Sons, Ltd.,
(1949) . London, 1947).

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 ELASTIC ENERGY OF AN ELLIPSOIDAL INCLUSION 1047

3. GENERAL SOLUTIONS IN ORTHOGONAL and

CURVILINEAR COORDINATES
7
'Sadowsky and Sternberg have considered a homo·
geneous, isotropic, elastic body of infinite extent which
possesses a cavity in the shape of an ellipsoid, assuming
that the body at infinity is in a uniform state of stress
whose principal axes of stress are parallel to the axes
of the cavity. They made use of the following general
solution to Eq. (1.02), due to J. Boussinesq,IO for the
case of a uniform temperature in the exterior:
2Gu= V(r·B+F)-4(1-v)B
where
B=Xi+Yj+Zk
(3.02)
In order to describe the ellipsoidal boundary of the
cavity with a single coordinate, they utilize an orthog-
onal curvilinear coordinate system with the trans-
formation,
(3.03)
(3.01)
where i= (-1)! and the elliptic functions, their moduli
k, k', and the parameter m are given by

k= (aL b2/a L c2)! k'= (1-k2)i m= (a2 -b2 )t}

SI= 1/ksnat S2= 1/dn(a2, k') Sa= sna 3 (3.04)
c1 = dnat/ iksnal C2= -ik'sn(a2, k')/dn(a2, k') Ca=cnaa
d 1 = cnal/isnal d 2 =k'cn(a2, k')/dn(a2, k') da=dnaa.

Fixed values of the coordinates al, a2, aa, represent where the local scale coefficients h are obtained from
members of the families of confocal ellipsoids, confocal
hyperboloids of one sheet and confocal hyperboloids of hI = i/kmQ 2Qa, h2= ~/kmq3ql ha=i/kmQlq2}. ( 07)
two sheets respectively. The surface of the ellipsoidal
Ql=(S22 - Sa2), Q2=~(S12-sl)! Qa=(S12-S22)t 3.
inclusion indicated by Eq. (1.01) corresponds to a The gradient of a function then becomes
value of al = at 0 evaluated from
VU =ah l aU/aal+bh 2aU/aa2+chaoU/oaa (3.08)
(3.05) and the angle between the normals to the coordinate
surface aj, x evaluated from
Unit normals to the surfaces al, a2, aa=constant at the
point (aI, a2, aa) are given by cos(aj, x) = hjox/ aaj= (1/h j )aa/ ax. (3.09)
The displacements vectors obtained from Eqs. (3.01),
(3.06) (3.09), (3.08) are given by

2Gu= h 1[xaX/oat- (3-4v)Xax/aat]a+h 2[xaX/oa2- (3-4v)Xax/ aa2]b

+h a[xoX/aa a-(3-4v)Xox/aaaJC
(3.10)11

The components of stress in the orthogonal curvilinear of Lame products,

coordinates, obtained from Eq. (1.07), are j=a
T11 = a' lJl'. a . T2a= b·lJl'· c. (3.11)11 U"P(al, a2, as) = IT [A"p(aj) or A"p(aj)] (4.01)
i=1

Expressions for these components of stress in terms of

the displacement potentials X, Y, Z, F may be ob- where tt, P denote the degree and species, respectively,
tained by utilizing Eqs. (1.04) (3.10). They are given of the Lame function of the first kind A,,1'. The asso-
in reference 7 as Eqs. [15J, and will henceforth be ciated second solution A,,1' of Lame's equation12 is
called Eqs. (3.12). given by

4. ELLIPSOIDAL HARMONICS (4.02)

Harmonic functions for the generation of stress fields
by means of Eqs. (3.10) and (3.12) may be found from
the solutions to Laplace's equation (3.02) in the form
10 For a discussion of general solutions and their interdependence
see R. D. Mindlin, Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 12,373-376 (June, 1936).
11 Those formulas not given explicitly may be obtained by cyclic
permutation.
so that A"p(O) = 0 and hence the Lame functions of the
second kind in at vanish at Irl = C().
12 For Lame's differential equation see reference 7 or E. T.
Whi.take;- and G. N. W.atson, A Course of Modern Analysis
(UruverSlty Press, Cambndge, England, 1935), fourth edition.

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1048 KENNETH ROBINSON

TABLE I.

Solution Degree Species

No. n P X.p(a;) A.P(al) U~'(Ot1. a •• al)

S; S,=[a,-E(a')]SI X=mS,S2Sa
m
2 1/1+k2 C; C, = [(k')2a, -E(a,)]c,+(d'/s , ) y= -pCIC2Ca

im
3 k2/1+k 2 di D, = (cd Sl) -d,E(a,) Z= k2k,Dld~a

4 0 0 at F,=km 2a,

2[(k')2+k4 ]i 2
5 2+ 1+k2 l;=s;'- p(1+k2) L, F2=km2L,I.Ja

S. SOLUTION OF A TRACTION PROBLEM FOR THE
INFINITE SOLID BOUNDED BY THE
SURFACE a,=a,o
We consider a body under the state of stress due to
the tractions caused by uniform stress fields acting at
infinity (a1=0) and tractions on the surface of the
ellipsoid al = ala' The stress dyadic at infinity and the
traction acting on the surface al = ala are given as
where oj, oj' are constants (j= 1, 2,3).
The components of traction (Tn, T12, Tla) acting on
the surface al = ala at the point (a10, a2, aa) are ob-
tained by utilizing Eqs. (5.02), (3.04), (3.03), (3.07) and
(3.09) and are as follows:
T11 = - [tj(k')2q22ql][Ul'(k')2C1 2d12Slsl
+ 0'2' S12d 12C22Ca2- Ua'S12 C12d 22dl]
T12= - [SlCtdlS2Czd2/(k')2qlq2ql]
, ') ] . (5.03)
X [ 0'1 (k 2sl+ 0'2'C32- 0'/da2
T13 = - [SlCldlSacada/ (k')2qlQ22qa]
X [u1'(k')2S22+ 0'2'C22- 0'a'd 22]
Sadowsky and Sternberg7 have solved the problem
above for the case of no traction acting on the surface
al = ala' This was achieved by extending the uniform
stress field throughout the entire space and super-
imposing a solution which removes the stress residuals
at ala. A consideration of the properties of the stress
fields leads to restrictions imposed on the stress func-
tions X, Y, Z, F. These restrictions are that in the
region exterior to the cavity, the stress fields must be
regular and at infinity they must vanish. Also they
must have the symmetry and periodic structure with
respect to a2, aa which the uniform field possesses.
Accordingly the Lame functions of the second kind in
a1 and of the first kind in a2, aa are the only ones
which may be utilized in Eqs. (4.01). A survey of the
linearly independent solutions which possess these
properties yields the set of stress functions recorded in
Table 1.
By means of Eqs. (3.03), (3.04), (3.07), (3.12), and
Table I, the stress components may be computed. These
are recorded as Eqs. [43J through [47J, in reference 9.
They will be omitted here but referred to as Eqs. (5.04).
In the process of solving their problem, Sadowsky and
Sternberg have actually solved two problems which,
when superimposed, give the solution of the traction
problem we are now considering. The dyadic repre-
senting the complete state of stress is given by a linear
combination of the stress dyadic of Eq. (5.01), and
stress dyadics representing the five linearly independent
solutions in Eqs. (5.04).
Ii
'F='F00 +L AN'FN. (5.05)
N=l
Equating the traction produced by the stress dyadic 'F
to that given by Eq. (5.02) we obtain
Ii
('F'-'Foo)·n= L AN'FN·n on al=alo (5.06)
N=l
where n is the internal normal to the surface al=a1o.
The three equations in the components of traction
(Tn, T12, T1a) are obtained with the aid of Eqs. (5.04),
(5.03), (5.02), and (5.01). These equations are identities
with respect to the variables a2, aa and produce sixteen
compatible linear equations in the coefficients of super-
position AN (N = 1, 2, .. ·5). They are reducible to the
following five linearly independent equations recorded

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 ELASTIC ENERGY OF AN ELLIPSOIDAL INCLUSION 1049

in matrix form:
-kcld l -ks!d l kos lc!
PI P2 Pa 0 J Al
SI (k')2 Cl (k')2dl
-kS1Cld l k3s I C1d 1
0 A2 O"l-O"!'
TI T2 Ta -L l ' kS1Cld 1
(k')2 (k')2
., 0
, (5.07)
SI" -C12 -dNlf 0 P Aa 0 0 0"2-0"2

kS 1C13d l -kS 1Cl d13

s!2T 1 -cl
2
Tz -d 12 Talk2 0 -lIL I ' A4 kS I3C1d l 0"3-0"3'
(k')Z (k')2

51
4
C14 d 14 /k4 1 ldi AD 0 0 0

(5.08)

2 [(k')2+k 4 J! Ll
p=2+---~ J =-[2k211+ (2- P)(1 +k2) ]
2 sIcJd 1
1+k
8(1-p) dL I 2L 1s 1C1d 1 P
---+-.
3p dal II II
All the functions in Eqs. (5.07), (5.08) are to be evalu- given by
ated at al = alo for the ellipsoid whose principal semi-
U oc = et:t."i+ezyj+eazk= (cI+eT)xi }
axes are (a, b, c). To facilitate these computations it is (6.01)
expedient to introduce shape parameters PI, pz defined +(c2+~T)yj+(C3+~T)zk at iXl=O
by the relations U ' al o=el'xi+e2'yj+ea'zk= (el' +eT)xi 1
O<PI=b/a<l, 0<P2=c/b<1. (5.09)
r, (6.02)
+(c2'+eT)yj+(Ca'+ET)zk at al=alOj
Equations (3.04) and (3.05) can then be written as where ej, e/ (j= 1, 2, 3) are constant strains due to the
stresses alone at infinity and inside al = ala respectively,
while ej, e/ (j= 1, 2, 3) include the free thermal ex-
(5.10)
pansion.
By analogy with Sec. 5 we consider the displacements
The equations (5.07), (5.08), (5.05), determine the to be the superposition of the state at infinity and the
state of stress resulting from the boundary conditions displacements given by the five solutions (which
indicated in Eqs. (5.01), (5.02). It is worthy of note that vanish at infinity) indicated by Eqs. (3.10) and Table 1.
for the case \1"'= 0 (Le., ITl' = IT2' = ua' = 0), the problem Thus we have
and its solution reduce to the one solved by Sadowsky 5
and Sternberg. For the case \1"= 'V' (i.e., 0'1 = 0"1', u=U"'+ L A,vu,v. (6.03)
,v=!
0"2= 0'2', 0'3= 0'3') the coefficients of superposition vanish
and the homogeneous state of stress exists throughout We must now satisfy Eq. (6.02) which then becomes
the infinite solid bounded by al = ala' 5
U'al·-U",,= L A,vUN on al=alo. (6.04)
,v-I
6. SOLUTION OF A DISPLACEMENT PROBLEM FOR
THE INFINITE SOLID BOUNDED BY al = alo Utilizing Eqs. (3.10), (3.03), (3.07), (3.09), and
We consider next the infinite solid subject to dis- u' aIo-U",=ula+u2h+uac= (e{ -el)xi
placements on the boundary al = ala and at infinity +(e2' -e2)yj+(ea'-ea)zk (6.05)

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1050 KENNETH ROBINSON
TABLE II.

im [1-(2-4v)SIC ,d, ] S22S,2

-2G
q2q,

~[1+(2-4
2Gq,q,
)SICld l] 2 2
V (k')2 C2 C,
im [ CICI]
2Gqaq, (2 - 4v) (k')2 s,C,d,C,-' im [ CICI]
2Gqlq2 (2 - 4v) (k')2 s3c ad aC2
2

3
--.!!!!.--.[(k')2_(2-4v)k2SICIDI]d.2d 2 ~[-(2-4v)dIDI] ",dd 2 im [- (Z-4v)d I DI] ,
2Gq2qa k'(k')2 2 a 2Gqaql k2(k')2 SJ_ 2'>' ZGq,q2 k2(k')2 SaCa d ad 2

im
2Gq2q,
o o
im im im
5 [L,']12Ia -2G [ZL , ]S2 c,d2Ia -ZG [ZL,]Sa CadaI 2
2G q2q, q,q, q,q,

we obtain for the orthogonal curvilinear components of the displacement vector (u' alo-U",)

(6.06)

The components of the displacement vectors,

UN=uINa+u2Nb+uaNc (N=I, 2," ·5) (6.07)
obtained from Eqs. (3.10), (3.03), (3.07), and Table I are recorded in Table II. Equations (6.04) combined
with (6.05), (6.06), (6.07), and Table II, provide a system of eight compatible equations in the coefficients of
superposition AN (N = 1,2, .. ·5). These equations may be reduced to the following set of five linearly inde-
pendent equations.

[1- (2-4v)SlCldl]Al+k2A4- Ll'[~]A5= 2Gks1c1d1(e1' -e1)

(6.08)

All the functions appearing in Eqs. (6.08) are to be
evaluated at a1 = a10. The complete solution of the
boundary value problem represented by Eqs. (6.01),
(6.02) is then given by Eqs. (6.08), (6.03), and Tables
I and II. We note now that Eqs. (5.07) for the traction
problem solved in Sec. 5 are compatible with Eqs. (6.08).
Thus the ellipsoid a1 = a10 becomes stretched into
another ellipsoid when the infinite solid is under the
stress state whose boundary conditions are given by
Eqs. (5.01), (5.02).
7. SOLUTION OF THERMOELASTIC PROBLEM
Considering the homogeneous state at infinity repre-
sented by Eqs. (5.01) to be the same as that repre-

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 ELASTIC ENERGY OF AN ELLIPSOIDAL INCLUSION 1051

sented by Eqs. (6.01), we have for the principal stress-
principal strain relations (Eqs. (1.04» at infinity:
Uj= [2G/l- 2v ][v(el+e2+ea)+(1- 2v)ej- (1 +v)eTJ
(j= 1, 2, 3). (7.01)
Considering the homogeneous state in the interior
represented by Eqs. (5.02) to be the same as that repre-
sented by Eqs. (6.02), we have for the principal stress-
principal strain relations in the interior:
u/= [2G'/1-2v'J[v'(e/+e2'+e3')
+(1-2v')e/-(I+v')E'T] (j= 1,2,3).
We note here that the inclusion need only have the
property that when under homogeneous principal
stresses eTl', eT2', eTa' oriented along the axes of the
ellipsoid, it be deformed into another ellipsoid. For
example, a cubic crystal with orientation of the crys-
talographic axes along the axes of the ellipsoid has this
property and its thermoelastic stress strain relations
could be substituted for Eqs. (7.02).
0'
'1)+ [G(I- 2v')IG' (1 +v')]'
where
'1)= Ulml+ jam2+ jama]/[hnl+ jan2+
For given values of the parameters Ph P2, G, G', V, v',
ET, E'T and a stress state at infinity given by Woo,
Eqs. (5.07), (6.08), (7.02) represent thirteen compatible
equations which can be reduced to eleven independent
equations in the eleven unknowns u{, U2', eTa', el', ez', ea',
AN (N = 1, 2, ···5). The state of displacement for the
interior may then be determined with the aid of Eqs.
(6.02), while the state of displacement and stress for the
exterior may be determined from Eqs. (6.03), (5.05),
Table II, and Eqs. (5.04).
We confine our attention now to the technically im-
portant case6 in which the stress state at infinity van-
(7.02)
ishes (i.e., W", = 0) so that the strains at infinity, as given
by Eqs. (7.01) are
(7.03)
Substitution of the expressions for the strains Cl, e2, ea,
el', el, ea' from Eqs. (7.02), (7.03) into Eqs. (6.08)
then permits the reduction to eight linearly independent
equations in the eight unknowns UI', U2~, us', AN
(N =;= 1, 2, .. ·5). Solution of these equations for the sum
of the principal stresses (ur'+UZ'+1T3') gives
-6G(e'T-fT)
(7.04)
jans],g=_I_[~_l]
2(I-v) G'

2k2) 2L 1'T l di ]
h=p+g[pT1+pT s+L1'11]+g2 [ L 1'T sS12 ( 1 . +pTITa
p(1+k2) p(1+k2 )

ja= -p-g[pT1+pTz+L{11]-g2 L 1'T2s 12 1 [ ( 2) 2L1'T1C12

+pT1T 2
]
p(1+k2) p(1+k2)
fs=O+g[ - (k')2S12TI-C12T2+d12TsJ+g2[(k')2S12TzT,+C12ToTl- d 12TIT2J (7.05)
ml =C12[2- 2v- Tl-3k 2s12]- (k')2S12(2- 2v- T 2]
m2=d l 2[2-2v- Tl-3s12]+(k')2S12[2-2v- TaJ
m3= -p[2-2v-Tl -6k2sNp(1+k2)]
111 = [CN1S1+S13dlCl](2+2v)+3d12[C1Lsn+[C12- (k')2 s12](1- 21')
n2= [C1d!oS! +k2s 13C1D!](2+ 2v)+3cl2(dlL k2S1Z]+[d12+ (k')2 s n(1- 2v)
na=P[ -c l dtSl(2+2v)+ I 12k2sNp(l+k2) }-4+2v]
8. THE ELASTIC ENERGY where 'I)='I)(Pl, P2, GIG', v) is given by Eqs. (7.05).
Since the sum of the principal stresses is a constant Thus the strain energy depends upon the 8 inde-
in the interior, we may utilize Eq. (2.09) to determine pendent para~ters PI, P2, V, G', GIG', II, v', (e'T- eT).
the total elastic energy of the interior and exterior. Special Case No. 1.-For an elliptic disk, i.e., (pz=O),
After substituting Of from Eq. (7.04) into Eq. (2.09) the function 'I) becomes independent of PI, v and is
and utilizing the relations PI =bla, P2=clb, V = 41iabcI3, given by
G= (G/G')G' we may indicate the dependence by the 'I)(Pl, 0, GIG', v) = !GIG',
equation, hence,
3G'(E'T-ET)2V
w (8.01)
['I)G'/GJ+ [(1- 2/)1(1 + /) J' Special Case No. 2.-For identical shear moduli of

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1052 KENNETH ROBINSON

the interior and exterior regions (i.e., GIG' = 1), the
function 1/ becomes independent of the shape ratios
Ph P2 and the exterior Poisson's ratio. It reduces to the
constant value 1/=! so that the function W is identical
with that for the elliptic disk (i.e., W 1). Under the
further assumption that v= v' the value of W given by
{GIG'11 (6-8v)P2+GIG'[(2-2v)(1+P22 )-(2-4V)P2]1
713=-
(3- 4.,) P2+ [GIG'][ (4-4v) (1 + P22 )+(2-4v )P2]+ (GIG')2(3p2)
Eq. (8.02) reduces to that obtainable from Goodier's
solutionl for the most general possible shape inclusion
where G=G', v= v' and the temperature in the inclusion
is uniform.
Special, Cases Nos. 3 and 4.-For an elliptic cylinder
(i.e., PI = 0) the function 71 is algebraic and is given by
. (8.03)
Under the further assumption that P2= 1 (i.e., circular
cylinder), the function 71 reduces to
714= 2GI (G'+ 3G) (8.04)
and this value is readily verified from Lame's solutionI3
for a pressure applied to a concentric cylindrical hole
in a circular cylinder.
Special. Case No.5-For a sphere (i.e., Pl= P2= 1)
the value of 1/ reduces, as in case No.2, to 1/=! and the
~O~----------------------~
400
300

zoo

30

+.567.8~LO
8=f
o .2.34.5.6 7 ~A.. <:t 1.0 FIG. 2. WIG(IT-tT)'Vasa function of PI, P2, forG'= "',
1'='-'f~ (,,=,,'=0.3).
FIG. 1. Ratio of the total elastic energy (W) for an inclusion 13 For this solution see A. E. H. Love, A Treatise on the Mathe-
with shape ratios PI, P2 to the total elastic energy (WI) for an matical The(}ry of Elasticity (Dover Publications, New York,
elliptic disk as a function of PI, P2, GIG'. 1944),

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 ELASTIC ENERGY OF AN ELLIPSOIDAL INCLUSION 1053

function TV becomes 18
3G'(lT-ET)2V 17
W , (8.05)
[G/2G']+[(1-2v')/(1 +v')J 16 "':'.5
which is easily verified from Lame's solution for pres- 14
15
sure applied to a concentric spherical hole in a sphere.
It is worthy of note that those cases for which 71= t It
(i.e., cases 2 and 5) correspond to the cases where the 13
displacement is the gradient of a potential function
and the solution may be found from the integration _>Il
of a distribution of centers of dilatation (see reference 1).
Further the dilatation in the interior is related to til
f-
the sum of the principal stresses in the interior by ~IO
0' = - 4Gv· u', while the dilatation vanishes in the 10
exterior region. We now consider an inclusion of arbi- ?q
trary shape subject to a distribution of temperature
8
change T and having a shear modulus G, Poisson's
ratio v', and coefficient of expansion l. The exterior, 7
to which the inclusion is bonded, has the same shear
modulus G, a different Poisson's ratio II and, for con- 6
venience, no temperature change. It is readily verified 5
from potential theory that
4
u= -[(1+v')/4'11{1-v')Jv ff £,[IT/rJdV (8.06) 3
...;:'.
2
(where r is the distance from the element of volume 'V'H
to the point where the potential is being measured) 1
satisfies the equation of equilibrium (1.03) for both the
interior and the exterior, that the tractions are con- °0 J z. 3 .5
tinuous on the surface of the interior volume, and that
the displacement and stress vanish at infinity. Hence FIG. 4. W IG'(lT-ET)2V as a function of v, v' for an ellipsoidal
Eq. (8.06) is the solution to the problem. Further the inclusion with shape ratios Pl=P2=t and G/G'=O.l, 10.
result of special case No.2 (G=G' with ET=O) that
consider the dimensionless ratio of the energy of a given
TV 1 = 2G(E'T)2V(1 +v')/(I- v') (8.07) shape (Ph P2) to that of the flat elliptic disk (i.e., Pl=O)
is also true for an arbitrary shape if the shear moduli for inclusions having the same shear moduli, Poisson's
of the interior and exterior are equal. ratios, volume and value of (IT-ET). The ratio then
From Eq. (8.01) W is seen to be a linear function of becomes
G', V, (E ' T-ET)2. For dependence on PI, P2, G/G' we W (!)+[(1-2v')/(1+v')]
(8.08)
Wl [71G'/G]+[(1-211')/(1+v)]'
where 71 is given by Eq. (7.05), The dependence of this
function (for v= v' = 0.3) upon the variables PI, P2, G/G'
18 is shown in Fig. 1, where it can be seen: (1) that W/W 1
()RC\A.A."C~l.-'NO£A
I!~O .1"j(l
increases monotonically with respect to increasing
GIG'; (2) for values of G/G'> 1 the function W /TV 1
increases monotonically with respect to increasing
O~J1~tO If-"
nl,pYfCDt$ll;

PI and P2; (3) for values of G/G'< 1, the function TV/W h

decreases monotonically with respect to increasing PI,
or P2; (4) for G/G' = 00 (Le., G= 00) the value W /W'
,00
has an upper limit which is
6/6'

FIG. 3. Ratio W IW', for a sphere, circular cylinder

W /W 1 =!(1-11')/(1-2v'). (8.09)
and an elliptic disk as a function of GIG'. For G/G'=O (i.e., G=O) the function TV/W' has a
----
See reference 13, p. 142.
J4 lower limit which is a function of PI, P2, v, v'. W, how-

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 1054 KENNETH S. MILLER

ever, vanishes for all shape ratios if the values are ap-
proached in the order 1: GIG' = 0; 2: remaining vari-
ables i.e., PI, P2, V, v'. In cases 1,3,4, this order was not
preserved and the resulting values of WI, W a, W 4 are
not zero for GIG'=O. Thus we see that the limits of the
functions W, WI, WIW I are not uniform at GIG'=O,
for values of PI = 0 or P2 = O.
Values of the functions along P2= 1 (prolate spheroid)
agree with those obtainable from Edwards,· results.
The same non-uniform limit condition at GIG' = 0, PI = 0
is found in his formulas.
Formula (8.01) becomes indeterminate in its present
form if G' = <XJ (i.e., rigid interior), but it may be put
in an alternate form by multiplying numerator and
denominator by GIG' and then setting G' = <XJ. The
resulting formula may be written in the dimensionless
form,
W 6IG(e'T-eT)2V =311/. (8.10)
This function is given (logarithmically) as a function of
PI, P2 in Fig. 2 where we note the non-existence of its
limit as pc-+O or P2-+0 and that it decreases monotoni-
cally with respect to increasing PI or P2.
Figure 3 indicates the value of the ratio W IW' for
the limiting shapes; sphere, circular cylinder, and elliptic
disk as they depend upon the ratio GIG' for (v= v' = .3).
It is to be noted that if the shear modulus of the in-
clusion (G') is greater than that of the' matrix (G) the
shape associated with the minimum total elastic energy
is the sphere. If the shear modulus of the inclusion is
less than that of the matrix the shape associated with
the minimum total elastic energy is the elliptic disk.
For equal shear modulii the energy is independent of
both the shape and the interior Poisson's ratio and is
given by Eq. (8.07).
Figure 4 indicates the dependence of the quantity
W IG'(E'T-ET)2V on v and v' for a shape PI=P2=t and
two values of GIG'.
9. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I wish to acknowledge, with thanks, the invaluable
advice of Professor R. D. Mindlin in connection with
the solution of this problem. I wish also to thank Pro-
fessors M. A. Sadowsky and E. Sternberg for making
available to me their detailed computations for the
ellipsoidal cavity problem.

JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS VOLUME 22, NUMBER 8 AUGUST, 1951

The One-Sided Green's Function

KENNETH S. MILLER
New York University, New York, New York
(Received March 7, 1951)

Let L be a linear differential operator of the nth order whose coefficients Pi(X) are continuous in a semi-
infinite interval I: [a, 00). A function H(x, r) is said to be a one-sided Green's function for the operator L if
it satisfies the four conditions: (1) H is continuous and its first n derivatives with respect to x are continuous
in I. (2) Ha(t, t)=O for a=O, 1, "', n-2. (3) Hn-1(r, r)=1/po(r). (4) LH=O. (The SUbscript on the H
refers to partial differentiation with respect to the first argument. and Po(x) is the coefficient of dn/dx" in
the expression for L.) It. is shown that H is unique and if u(x) = faz H(x, r)j(r)dr. then Lu=j(x) and
u(a)(a) =0, a=O, 1, "', n-l. Furthermore, if H is given, a fundamental system of solutions of Lu=O can
be written down explicitly in terms of H and its derivatives evaluated at the end point a. The converse
problem is trivial. Other properties of H are also considered, for example, its relation to the impulsive
response of a network.

1. INTRODUCTION
THE classical Green's function is one of the most
powerful tools available for the investigation of
linear differential equations, and hence all physical
systems which are governed by a linear differential
system. Roughly speaking, if L is a linear differential
operator with which are associated linear two-point
boundary conditions in the interval [a, b], then a func-
tion G(x,!;) called the Green's junction of the system
can be defined. I This function has the property, among
others, that if u(x) = fabG(X, t)j(!;)d!;, then Lu(x) = j(x).
Now with many problems in engineering (particu-
. I E. L. lnce, Ordinary Differential Equations (Dover Publica-
tions, New York, 1944), p. 254.
larly in network theory) we must associate one-point
boundary conditions. Furthermore, the solutions is
generally of interest not only in a finite interval, but,
say, for all time with t~O. For problems of this nature,
a more convenient function to use than the classical
Green's junction G(x, t) is a function H(x, t) which we
shall call the one-sided Green's junction. [H(x,!;) is
formally defined in Definition 1 below.] It will be seen
that H(x, !;) is, in general, an easier function to deal
with (it having no discontinuities) than the correspond-
ing classical Green's function G(x, t). Also, H(x, !;) is
defined only with respect to the differential operator L,
while to define G(x, !;), the differential system must be
taken into account.

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