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arXiv · 1101.1432

Propagating mode-I fracture in amorphous materials using the continuous random network (CRN) model

Shay I Heizler·David A. Kessler·Herbert Levine
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Abstract

We study propagating mode-I fracture in two dimensional amorphous materials using atomistic simulations. We used the continuous random network (CRN) model of an amorphous material, creating samples using a two dimensional analogue of the WWW (Wooten, Winer & Weaire) Monte-Carlo algorithm. For modeling fracture, molecular-dynamics simulations were run on the resulting samples. The results of our simulations reproduce the main experimental features. In addition to achieving a steady-state crack under a constant driving displacement (which had not yet been achieved by other atomistic models for amorphous materials), the runs show micro-branching, which increases with driving, transitioning to macro-branching for the largest drivings. Beside the qualitative visual similarity of the simulated cracks to experiment, the simulation also succeeds in explaining the experimentally observed oscillations of the crack velocity.

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Shay I Heizler, David A. Kessler, Herbert Levine. 2011-01-10. Propagating mode-I fracture in amorphous materials using the continuous random network (CRN) model. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.84.026102

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