Mildly dissipative nonlinear Timoshenko systems—global existence and exponential stability ✩

We consider nonlinear systems of Timoshenko type in a one-dimensional bounded domain. The system has a dissipative mechanism being present only in the equation for the rotation angle; it is a damping effect through heat conduction. The global existence of small, smooth solutions as well as the exponential stability are investigated.  2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.