External forces in the continuum limit of discrete systems with non-convex interaction potentials: Compactness for a $Γ$-development

Abstract: This paper is concerned with equilibrium configurations of one-dimensional particle system with non-convex nearest-neighbour and next-to-nearest-neighbour interactions and its passage to the continuum. The goal is to derive compactness results for a $\Gamma$-development of the energy with the novelty that external forces are allowed. In particular, the forces may depend on Lagrangian or Eulerian coordinates. Our result is based on a new technique for deriving compactness results which are required for calculating the first-order $\Gamma$-limit: instead of comparing a configuration of $n$ atoms to a global minimizer of the $\Gamma$-limit, we compare the configuration to a minimizer in some subclass of functions which in some sense are "close to" the configuration. This new technique is required due to the additional presence of forces with non-convex potentials. The paper is complemented with the study of the minimizers of the $\Gamma$-limit.