Related papers: Force-induced breakdown of flexible polymerized me…
The brittle fragmentation of spheres is studied numerically by a 3D Discrete Element Model. Large scale computer simulations are performed with models that consist of agglomerates of many spherical particles, interconnected by beam-truss…
We explore the Mode I fracture toughness of a polymer gel containing a semi-infinite, growing crack. First, an expression is derived for the energy release rate within the linearized, small-strain setting. This expression reveals a crack…
We present force-clamp data on the collapse of ubiquitin polyproteins in response to a quench in the force. These nonequilibrium trajectories are analyzed using a general method based on a diffusive assumption of the end-to-end length to…
We study a highly supercooled two-dimensional fluid mixture via molecular dynamics simulation. We follow bond breakage events among particle pairs, which occur on the scale of the $\alpha$ relaxation time $\tau_{\alpha}$. Large scale…
We introduce a model for the dynamics of mud cracking in the limit of of extremely thin layers. In this model the growth of fracture proceeds by selecting the part of the material with the smallest (quenched) breaking threshold. In…
We explore dynamic structural superlubricity for the case of a relatively large contact area, where the friction force is proportional to the area (exceeding $\sim 100\,nm^2$) experimentally, numerically, and theoretically. We use a setup…
We present a detailed study of a two-dimensional minimal lattice model for the description of mud cracking in the limit of extremely thin layers. In this model each bond of the lattice is assigned to a (quenched) breaking threshold.…
The mean area of a two-dimensional Gaussian ring of $N$ monomers is known to diverge when the ring is subject to a critical pressure differential, $p_c \sim N^{-1}$. In a recent publication [Eur. Phys. J. E 19, 461 (2006)] we have shown…
In this paper, a computational model in (2+1)-dimensions which simulates the rupture process of a fibrous material submitted to a constant force $F$, is analyzed. The roughness exponent $\zeta$ at the boundary that separates two failure…
We generalize and apply a microscopic force-level statistical mechanical theory of the activated dynamics of dilute spherical penetrants in glass-forming liquids to study the influence of permanent crosslinking in polymer networks on the…
We conduct experiments on a class of two-dimensional semiwet foams generated through compressing a three-dimensional soap foam between two glass plates. To induce a spatially uniform rupturing process on foam boundaries, an additional plate…
In this paper we derive a new two-dimensional brittle fracture model for thin shells via dimension reduction, where the admissible displacements are only normal to the shell surface. The main steps include to endow the shell with a small…
Recent experimental studies have observed a surprisingly wide range of strengths in polycrystalline graphene. Previous computational investigations of graphene tilt boundaries have highlighted the role of interfacial topology in determining…
While stretching of most polymer chains leads to rather featureless force-extension diagrams, some, notably DNA, exhibit non-trivial behavior with a distinct plateau region. Here we propose a unified theory that connects force-extension…
Despite extensive theoretical treatment of short- to long-crack transitions, direct experimental quantification of how elastic and plastic energy contributions evolve at the crack tip during arrest has remained absent. In this study, we…
To design increasingly tough, resilient, and fatigue-resistant elastomers and hydrogels, the relationship between controllable network parameters at the molecular level to macroscopic quantities that govern damage and failure must be…
We report on an extensive study of craze formation in glassy polymers. Molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained bead-spring model were employed to investigate the molecular level processes during craze nucleation, widening, and…
The adhesion bonds connecting a lipid bilayer to an underlying surface may undergo a condensation transition resulting from an interplay between a short range attractive potential between them, and a long range fluctuation-induced potential…
The stability of two-dimensional (2D) layers and membranes is subject of a long standing theoretical debate. According to the so called Mermin-Wagner theorem, long wavelength fluctuations destroy the long-range order for 2D crystals.…
Motivated by recent experiments [1-3] we calculate the thermopower of graphene incorporating the energy dependence of various transport scattering times. We find that scattering by screened charged impurities gives a reasonable explanation…