Propagation of singularities in Cauchy problems for quasilinear thermoelastic systems in three space variables ✩

By using microlocal analysis, the propagation of weak singularities in Cauchy problems for quasilinear thermoelastic systems in three space variables are investigated. First, paradifferential operators are employed to decouple the quasilinear thermoelastic systems. Second, by investigating the decoupled hyperbolic–parabolic systems and using the classical bootstrap argument, the property of finite propagation speeds of singularities in Cauchy problems for the quasilinear thermoelastic systems is obtained. Finally, it is shown that the microlocal weak singularities for Cauchy problems of the thermoelastic systems are propagated along the null bicharacteristics of the hyperbolic operators.  2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.