Related papers: Rigidity transitions in zero-temperature polygons
Simulations are used to examine the microscopic origins of strain hardening in polymer glasses. While stress-strain curves for a wide range of temperature can be fit to the functional form predicted by entropic network models, many other…
We analyse properties of contact networks formed in packings of soft frictionless disks near the unjamming transition. We construct polygonal tilings and triangulations of the contact network that partitions space into convex regions which…
We investigate the spatio-temporal structure of the most likely configurations realising extremely high vorticity or strain in the stochastically forced 3D incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. Most likely configurations are computed by…
Random packings of stiff rods are self-supporting mechanical structures stabilized by long range interactions induced by contacts. To understand the geometrical and topological complexity of the packings, we first deploy X-ray computerized…
Tightness is a generalisation of the notion of convexity: a space is tight if and only if it is "as convex as possible", given its topological constraints. For a simplicial complex, deciding tightness has a straightforward exponential time…
An applied tension force changes the equilibrium conformations of a polymer chain tethered to a planar substrate and thus affects the adsorption transition as well as the coil-globule and crystallization transitions. Conversely, solvent…
A widely-studied model for gels or biopolymeric fibrous materials are networks with central force interactions, such as Hookean springs. Less commonly studied are materials whose mechanics are dominated by non-central force interactions…
Surface stress, also known as surface tension, is a fundamental material property of any interface. However, measurements of solid surface stress in traditional engineering materials, such as metals and oxides, have proven to be very…
Simulations are used to examine the microscopic origins of strain hardening in polymer glasses. While traditional entropic network models can be fit to the total stress, their underlying assumptions are inconsistent with simulation results.…
We analyze equilibrium properties and adsorption desorption phase transition behaviour of a linear semiflexible copolymer chain under constrained geometrical situation on square lattice in a good solvent. One dimensional stair shaped line…
The structural properties of a linear polymer and its evolution in time have a strong bearing on its anisotropic stress response. The mean-square bond length and mean bond angle are the critical parameters that influence the time-varying…
A simple model for solid friction is analyzed. It is based on tangential springs representing interlocked asperities of the surfaces in contact. Each spring is given a maximal strain according to a probability distribution. At their maximal…
A question of some fundamental importance is whether a given assembly of frictional granules (say sand or powder) will exhibit stress autocorrelations with long-range anisotropic decay as determined by the elastic Green's function. In…
Recent experiments have shown that surface stresses in soft materials can have a significant strain-dependence. Here we explore the implications of this surface elasticity to show how, and when, we expect it to arise. We develop the…
Functional structures from across the engineered and biological world combine rigid elements such as bones and columns with flexible ones such as cables, fibers and membranes. These structures are known loosely as tensegrities, since these…
We study the nearest-neighbor spin-ice model subjected to a magnetic field applied along the global [111] and [110] directions, focusing on the role of sample geometry in stabilizing topological phase transitions. While no Kasteleyn…
We describe a 2D spring-block model for the transition from static to kinetic friction at an elastic slider/rigid substrate interface obeying a minimalistic friction law (Amontons-Coulomb). By using realistic boundary conditions, a number…
Athermal models of disordered fibrous networks are highly useful for studying the mechanics of elastic networks composed of stiff biopolymers. The underlying network architecture is a key aspect that can affect the elastic properties of…
Liquid drops when subjected to external periodic perturbations can execute polygonal oscillations. In this work, a simple model is presented that demonstrates these oscillations and their characteristic properties. The model consists of a…
Our goal is to develop a design framework for multifunctional mechanical metamaterials that can tune their rigidity while optimizing other desired properties. Towards this goal, we first demonstrate that underconstrained central force…