A Brief Summary of a Four Week Interaction with Dr. Christian Soize and his Colleagues at ONERA in Chatillon, France

During the four week time period 9 June to 14 July 1993, the author visited ONERA Office National dEtudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales in Chatillon, France and interacted with the scientists and engineers in their structures group. The primary purpose of the visit was for the author to work with Dr. Christian Soize, on one or more of three problems suggested in discussions between Soize, Dr. Victor W. Sparrow, and Russell at the Fall 1992 meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in New Orleans and in subsequent correspondence. Other objectives included understanding more about Soizes fuzzy structure theories, learning if possible about some of the finite element computer code used by ONERA, observing the kinds and quality of research being done by the structure group, and laying some ground work for possible future interactions between French and American scientists concerning fuzzy structures. Many of these objectives were met. One major result of the visit was the development of a model for coupling between a line structural fuzzy and the bending motion of attached plates.