On some energy-based variational principles in non-dissipative magneto-mechanics using a vector potential approach

This contribution covers the variational-based modeling of non-dissipative magneto-mechanical systems using a vector potential approach and the thorough analysis and discussion of corresponding conforming finite element methods. Since the construction of divergence-free finite element spaces explicitly enforcing the Coulomb gauge poses some major challenges, we propose some primal and mixed variational principles that ensure well posedness of the problem and allow to seek the vector potential in unconstrained function spaces. The performance of these methods is assessed in two comparative benchmark studies. The focus of both studies lies on the accurate approximation of field quantities in systems with material discontinuities and re-entrant corners.