Accretion; surface growth; nonlinear elasticity; residual stress; foliations; material metric

We formulate a geometric nonlinear theory of the mechanics of accretion. In this theory the reference configuration of an accreting body is represented by a time-dependent Riemannian manifold with a time-independent metric that at each point depends on the state of deformation at that point at its time of attachment to the body, and on the way the new material is added to the body. We study the incompatibilities induced by accretion through the analysis of the material metric and its curvature in relation to the foliated structure of the accreted body.