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On thermodynamically compatible finite volume schemes for continuum mechanics

In this paper we present a new family of semi-discrete and fully-discrete finite volume schemes for overdetermined, hyperbolic and thermodynamically compatible PDE systems. In the following we will denote these methods as HTC schemes. In particular, we consider the Euler equations of compressible gasdynamics, as well as the more complex Godunov-Peshkov-Romenski (GPR) model of continuum mechanics, which, at the aid of suitable relaxation source terms, is able to describe nonlinear elasto-plastic solids at large deformations as well as viscous fluids as two special cases of a more general first order hyperbolic model of continuum mechanics. The main novelty of the schemes presented in this paper lies in the fact that we solve the \textit{entropy inequality} as a primary evolution equation rather than the usual total energy conservation law. Instead, total energy conservation is achieved as a mere consequence of a thermodynamically compatible discretization of all the other equations. For this, we first construct a discrete framework for the compressible Euler equations that mimics the continuous framework of Godunov's seminal paper \textit{An interesting class of quasilinear systems} of 1961 \textit{exactly} at the discrete level. All other terms in the governing equations of the more general GPR model, including non-conservative products, are judiciously discretized in order to achieve discrete thermodynamic compatibility, with the exact conservation of total energy density as a direct consequence of all the other equations. As a result, the HTC schemes proposed in this paper are provably marginally stable in the energy norm and satisfy a discrete entropy inequality by construction. We show some computational results obtained with HTC schemes in one and two space dimensions, considering both the fluid limit as well as the solid limit of the governing partial differential equations.