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Celia Reina

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Published work

10 published item(s)

preprint2026arXiv

Nonlinear GENERIC Informed Neural Networks (N-GINNs): learning GENERIC dynamics with non-quadratic dissipation potentials

We introduce Nonlinear GENERIC Informed Neural Networks (N-GINNs), a deep learning framework for discovering evolution equations of systems governed by the nonlinear GENERIC formalism (General Equation for Non-Equilibrium Reversible-Irreversible Coupling). Such systems exhibit coupled conservative and dissipative dynamics, and can be described via the superposition of a Hamiltonian flow and a generalized gradient flow. In contrast to existing approaches, our formulation incorporates generalized gradient flows via convex dissipation potentials, enabling the identification of a broader class of thermodynamically consistent dynamics, including systems with non-quadratic dissipation potentials. Thermodynamic structure is strongly enforced by construction through suitable reparameterizations of both the bivector operator and the dissipation potential, ensuring exact compliance with the first and second laws of thermodynamics. We validate the proposed approach on three representative examples: a harmonic oscillator coupled to a heat bath, an idealized chemical motor, and a one-dimensional viscoplastic model of Perzyna type. These results demonstrate the method's ability to accurately infer thermodynamically consistent models from data for systems incorporating both conservative and nonlinear dissipative dynamics.

preprint2025arXiv

Integrated Experiment and Simulation Co-Design: A Key Infrastructure for Predictive Mesoscale Materials Modeling

The design of structural & functional materials for specialized applications is being fueled by rapid advancements in materials synthesis, characterization, manufacturing, with sophisticated computational materials modeling frameworks that span a wide spectrum of length & time scales in the mesoscale between atomistic & continuum approaches. This is leading towards a systems-based design methodology that will replace traditional empirical approaches, embracing the principles of the Materials Genome Initiative. However, several gaps remain in this framework as it relates to advanced structural materials:(1) limited availability & access to high-fidelity experimental & computational datasets, (2) lack of co-design of experiments & simulation aimed at computational model validation,(3) lack of on-demand access to verified and validated codes for simulation and for experimental analyses, & (4) limited opportunities for workforce training and educational outreach. These shortcomings stifle major innovations in structural materials design. This paper describes plans for a community-driven research initiative that addresses current gaps based on best-practice recommendations of leaders in mesoscale modeling, experimentation & cyberinfrastructure obtained at an NSF-sponsored workshop dedicated to this topic. The proposal is to create a hub for Mesoscale Experimentation and Simulation co-Operation (hMESO)-that will (I) provide curation and sharing of models, data, & codes, (II) foster co-design of experiments for model validation with systematic uncertainty quantification, & (III) provide a platform for education & workforce development. It will engage experimental & computational experts in mesoscale mechanics and plasticity, along with mathematicians and computer scientists with expertise in algorithms, data science, machine learning, & large-scale cyberinfrastructure initiatives.

preprint2021arXiv

Predicting the unobserved: a statistical mechanics framework for non-equilibrium material response with quantified uncertainty

Can far-from-equilibrium material response under arbitrary loading be inferred from equilibrium data and vice versa? Can the effect of element transmutation on mechanical behavior be predicted? Remarkably, such extrapolations are possible in principle for systems governed by stochastic differential equations, thanks to a set of exact relations between probability densities for trajectories derived from the path integral formalism [1, 2, 3]. In this article, we systematically investigate inferences (in the form of ensemble-averages) drawn on system/process S based on stochastic trajectory data of system/process S~, with quantified uncertainty, to directly address the aforementioned questions. Interestingly, such inferences and their associated uncertainty do not require any simulations or experiments of S. The results are exemplified over two illustrative examples by means of numerical simulations: a one-dimensional system as a prototype for polymers and biological macromolecules, and a two-dimensional glassy system. In principle, the approach can be pushed to the extreme case where S~ is simply comprised of Brownian trajectories, i.e., equilibrium non-interacting particles, and S is a complex interacting system driven far from equilibrium. In practice, however, the "further" S~ is from S, the greater the uncertainty in the predictions, for a fixed number of realizations of system S~.

preprint2021arXiv

Variational Onsager Neural Networks (VONNs): A thermodynamics-based variational learning strategy for non-equilibrium PDEs

We propose a thermodynamics-based learning strategy for non-equilibrium evolution equations based on Onsager's variational principle, which allows to write such PDEs in terms of two potentials: the free energy and the dissipation potential. Specifically, these two potentials are learned from spatio-temporal measurements of macroscopic observables via proposed neural network architectures that strongly enforce the satisfaction of the second law of thermodynamics. The method is applied to three distinct physical processes aimed at highlighting the robustness and versatility of the proposed approach. These include (i) the phase transformation of a coiled-coil protein, characterized by a non-convex free-energy density; (ii) the one-dimensional dynamic response of a three-dimensional viscoelastic solid, which leverages the variational formulation as a tool for obtaining reduced order models; and (iii) linear and nonlinear diffusion models, characterized by a lack of uniqueness of the free energy and dissipation potentials. These illustrative examples showcase the possibility of learning partial differential equations through their variational action density (i.e., a function instead), by leveraging the thermodynamic structure intrinsic to mechanical and multiphysics problems.

preprint2015arXiv

Computational homogenization of heterogeneous media under dynamic loading

A variational coarse-graining framework for heterogeneous media is developed that allows for a seamless transition from the traditional static scenario to a arbitrary loading conditions, including inertia effects and body forces. The strategy is formulated in the spirit of computational homogenization methods (FE$^2$) and is based on the discrete version of Hill's averaging results recently derived by the authors. In particular, the traditional static multiscale scheme is proved here to be equivalent to a direct homogenization of the principle of minimum potential energy and to hold exactly under a finite element discretization. This perspective provides a unifying variational framework for the FE$^2$ method, in the static setting, with Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions on the representative volume element; and it directly manifests the approximate duality of the effective strain energy density obtained with these two types of boundary conditions in the sense of Legendre transformation. Its generalization to arbitrary loading conditions and material constitutive relations is then immediate through the incremental minimum formulation of the dynamic problem à la Radovitzky and Ortiz (1999), which, in the discrete setting, is in full analogy to the static problem. These theoretical developments are then translated into an efficient multiscale FE$^2$ computational strategy for the homogenization of a microscopic explicit dynamics scheme, with two noteworthy properties. Firstly, each time incremental problem can be solved exactly with a single Newton-Raphson iteration with a constant Hessian, regardless of the specific non-linearities or history-dependence of the micro-constituents' behavior. Secondly, the scheme concurrently solves for the microscopic and macroscopic degrees of freedom, in contrast to standard approaches based on sequential or nested minimizations.

preprint2015arXiv

Discrete averaging relations for micro to macro transition

The well-known Hill's averaging theorems for stresses and strains as well as the so-called Hill-Mandel principle of macrohomogeneity are essential ingredients for the coupling and the consistency between the micro and macro scales in multiscale finite element procedures (FE$^2$). We show in this paper that these averaging relations hold exactly under standard finite element discretizations, even if the stress field is discontinuous across elements and the standard proofs based on the divergence theorem are no longer suitable. The discrete averaging results are derived for the three classical types of boundary conditions (affine displacement, periodic and uniform traction boundary conditions) using the properties of the shape functions and the weak form of the microscopic equilibrium equations. The analytical proofs are further verified numerically through a simple finite element simulation of an irregular representative volume element undergoing large deformations. Furthermore, the proofs are extended to include the effects of body forces and inertia, and the results are consistent with those in the smooth continuum setting. This work provides a solid foundation to apply Hill's averaging relations in multiscale finite element methods without introducing an additional error in the scale transition due to the discretization.

preprint2015arXiv

Entropy production and the geometry of dissipative evolution equations

Purely dissipative evolution equations are often cast as gradient flow structures, $\dot{\mathbf{z}}=K(\mathbf{z})DS(\mathbf{z})$, where the variable $\mathbf{z}$ of interest evolves towards the maximum of a functional $S$ according to a metric defined by an operator $K$. While the functional often follows immediately from physical considerations (e.g., the thermodynamic entropy), the operator $K$ and the associated geometry does not necessarily so (e.g., Wasserstein geometry for diffusion). In this paper, we present a variational statement in the sense of maximum entropy production that directly delivers a relationship between the operator $K$ and the constraints of the system. In particular, the Wasserstein metric naturally arises here from the conservation of mass or energy, and depends on the Onsager resistivity tensor, which, itself, may be understood as another metric, as in the Steepest Entropy Ascent formalism. This new variational principle is exemplified here for the simultaneous evolution of conserved and non-conserved quantities in open systems. It thus extends the classical Onsager flux-force relationships and the associated variational statement to variables that do not have a flux associated to them. We further show that the metric structure $K$ is intimately linked to the celebrated Freidlin-Wentzell theory of stochastically perturbed gradient flows, and that the proposed variational principle encloses an infinite-dimensional fluctuation-dissipation statement.

preprint2015arXiv

Formation of Nanotwin Networks during High-Temperature Crystallization of Amorphous Germanium

Germanium is an extremely important material used for numerous functional applications in many fields of nanotechnology. In this paper, we study the crystallization of amorphous Ge using atomistic simulations of critical nano-metric nuclei at high temperatures. We find that crystallization occurs by the recurrent transfer of atoms via a diffusive process from the amorphous phase into suitably-oriented crystalline layers. We accompany our simulations with a comprehensive thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of the growth process, which explains the energy balance and the interfacial growth velocities governing grain growth. For the $\langle111\rangle$ crystallographic orientation, we find a degenerate atomic rearrangement process, with two zero-energy modes corresponding to a perfect crystalline structure and the formation of a $\Sigma3$ twin boundary. Continued growth in this direction results in the development a twin network, in contrast with all other growth orientations, where the crystal grows defect-free. This particular mechanism of crystallization from amorphous phases is also observed during solid-phase epitaxial growth of $\langle111\rangle$ semiconductor crystals, where growth is restrained to one dimension. We calculate the equivalent X-ray diffraction pattern of the obtained nanotwin networks, providing grounds for experimental validation.

preprint2013arXiv

Kinematic description of crystal plasticity in the finite kinematic framework: a micromechanical understanding of F=FeFp

The plastic component of the deformation gradient plays a central role in finite kinematic models of plasticity. However, its characterization has been the source of extended debates in the literature and many important issues still remain unresolved. Some examples are the micromechanical understanding of F=FeFp with multiple active slip systems, the uniqueness of the decomposition, or the characterization of the plastic deformation without reference to the so-called intermediate configuration. In this paper, we shed some light to these issues via a two-dimensional kinematic analysis of the plastic deformation induced by discrete slip surfaces and the corresponding dislocation structures. In particular, we supply definitions for the elastic and plastic components of the deformation gradient as a function of the active slip systems without any a priori assumption on the decomposition of the total deformation gradient. These definitions are explicitly and uniquely given from the microstructure and do not make use of any unrealizable intermediate configuration. These quantities are then passed to the continuous limit via homogenization, i.e., by increasing the number of slip surfaces to infinity and reducing the lattice parameter to zero. This continuum limit is computed for several illustrative examples, where the well-known multiplicative decomposition of the total deformation gradient is recovered. Additionally, by similar arguments, an expression of the dislocation density tensor is obtained as the limit of discrete dislocation densities.

preprint2013arXiv

Mesoscale computational study of the nano-crystallization of amorphous Ge via a self-consistent atomistic - phase field coupling

Germanium is the base element in many phase-change materials, i.e. systems that can undergo reversible transformations between their crystalline and amorphous phases. They are widely used in current digital electronics and hold great promise for the next generation of non-volatile memory devices. However, the ultra fast phase transformations required for these applications can be exceedingly complex even for single component systems, and a full physical understanding of these phenomena is still lacking. In this paper we study nucleation and growth of crystalline Ge from amorphous thin films at high temperature using phase field models informed by atomistic calculations of fundamental material properties. The atomistic calculations capture the full anisotropy of the Ge crystal lattice, which results in orientation dependences for interfacial energies and mobilities. These orientation relations are then exactly recovered by the phase field model at finite thickness via a novel parametrization strategy based on invariance solutions of the Allen-Cahn equations. By means of this multiscale approach, we study the interplay between nucleation and growth and find that the relation between the mean radius of the crystallized Ge grains and the nucleation rate follows simple Avrami-type scaling laws. We argue that these can be used to cover a wide region of the nucleation rate space, hence facilitating comparison with experiments.