On the Power of Configurational Forces

Configurational forces are known to account for defects or inhomogeneities in materials. However, the notion of configurational force has been successfully employed in phase transitions. Also, quite recently, some authors invoked these forces for describing accretive processes or for introducing theory of growth. In all these contexts, dissipation may occur. Hence, one may be wondering as whether a notion of power could be introduced for such forces. As the configurational force acts upon the point where the defect is located, it is reasonable to consider the ‘dislocation’ or ‘re-location’ in time of this point. Once the velocity of the defect has been appropriately defined, the related power can be introduced. This power differs from the one due to the classical mechanical traction. Interesting properties stem from this novel notion of power