English

Crack propagation as a free boundary problem

Materials Science 2015-06-25 v1

Abstract

A newly developed sharp interface model describes crack propagation by a phase transition process. We solve this free boundary problem numerically and obtain steady state solutions with a self-consistently selected propagation velocity and shape of the crack, provided that elastodynamic effects are taken into account. Also, we find a saturation of the steady state crack velocity below the Rayleigh speed, tip blunting with increasing driving force and a tip splitting instability above a critical driving force.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0607239,
  title  = {Crack propagation as a free boundary problem},
  author = {D. Pilipenko and R. Spatschek and E. A. Brener and H. Müller-Krumbhaar},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0607239},
  year   = {2015}
}