Helical crack-front instability in mixed-mode fracture

Antonio J. Pons and Alain Karma ()
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Antonio J. Pons: Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
Alain Karma: Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA

Nature, 2010, vol. 464, issue 7285, 85-89

Abstract: Watching cracks move Evolution of fractures in materials can vary substantially depending on what conditions the material is in. In particular, if only tension loading is applied, the crack generally moves in a plane and the fracture surface is smooth. On the other hand, the addition of a shear stress orthogonal to this plane of crack propagation generates an instability that results in three-dimensional helical crack propagation, atomically rough surfaces and a characteristic fracture pattern that resembles the shape of a series of lances. Antonio Pons and Alain Karma explore the causes of this instability, performing extensive numerical simulations, to understand and predict this behaviour, which is important in a number of engineering and geological materials. They uncover a new law that governs crack propagation in space for materials subject to general stress conditions, as well as a delicate balance of forces acting to stabilize or destabilize the crack motion.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08862

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