Fatigue crack propagation in a quasi one-dimensional elasto-plastic model

Fatigue crack advance induced by the application of cyclic quasistatic loads is investigated both numerically and analytically using a lattice spring model. The system has a quasi-one-dimensional geometry, and consists in two symmetrical chains that are pulled apart, thus breaking springs which connect them, and producing the advance of a crack. Quasistatic crack advance occurs as a consequence of the plasticity included in the springs which form the chains, and that implies a history dependent stress-strain curve for each spring. The continuous limit of the model allows a detailed analytical treatment that gives physical insight of the propagation mechanism. This simple model captures key features that cause well known phenomenology in fatigue crack propagation, in particular a Paris-like law of crack advance under cyclic loading, and the overload retardation effect.Comment: To be published in the International Journal of Solids and Structure

Editorial

Introduction to volume 2 of Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

Tuning spreading and avalanche-size exponents in directed percolation with modified activation probabilities

We consider the directed percolation process as a prototype of systems displaying a nonequilibrium phase transition into an absorbing state. The model is in a critical state when the activation probability is adjusted at some precise value p_c. Criticality is lost as soon as the probability to activate sites at the first attempt, p1, is changed. We show here that criticality can be restored by "compensating" the change in p1 by an appropriate change of the second time activation probability p2 in the opposite direction. At compensation, we observe that the bulk exponents of the process coincide with those of the normal directed percolation process. However, the spreading exponents are changed, and take values that depend continuously on the pair (p1, p2). We interpret this situation by acknowledging that the model with modified initial probabilities has an infinite number of absorbing states.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figure

Magnetic Domain Patterns Depending on the Sweeping Rate of Magnetic Fields

The domain patterns in a thin ferromagnetic film are investigated in both experiments and numerical simulations. Magnetic domain patterns under a zero field are usually observed after an external magnetic field is removed. It is demonstrated that the characteristics of the domain patterns depend on the decreasing rate of the external field, although it can also depend on other factors. Our numerical simulations and experiments show the following properties of domain patterns: a sea-island structure appears when the field decreases rapidly from the saturating field to the zero field, while a labyrinth structure is observed for a slowly decreasing field. The mechanism of the dependence on the field sweeping rate is discussed in terms of the concepts of crystallization.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Diffusion Anomaly in an Associating Lattice Gas Model

We investigate the relation between thermodynamic and dynamic properties of an associating lattice gas (ALG) model. The ALG combines a two dimensional lattice gas with particles interacting through a soft core potential and orientational degrees of freedom. From the competition between the directional attractive forces and the soft core potential results two liquid phases, double criticality and density anomaly. We study the mobility of the molecules in this model by calculating the diffusion constant at a constant temperature, $D$. We show that $D$ has a maximum at a density $\rho_{max}$ and a minimum at a density $\rho_{min}<\rho_{max}$. Between these densities the diffusivity differs from the one expected for normal liquids. We also show that in the pressure-temperature phase-diagram the line of extrema in diffusivity is close to the liquid-liquid critical point and it is inside the temperature of maximum density (TMD) line.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure

Liquid-liquid equilibrium for monodisperse spherical particles

A system of identical particles interacting through an isotropic potential that allows for two preferred interparticle distances is numerically studied. When the parameters of the interaction potential are adequately chosen, the system exhibits coexistence between two different liquid phases (in addition to the usual liquid-gas coexistence). It is shown that this coexistence can occur at equilibrium, namely, in the region where the liquid is thermodynamically stable.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures. Published versio

Surface defreezing of glasses

A glass surface may still flow below the bulk glass transition temperature, where the underlying bulk is frozen. Assuming the existence at T=T* of a bulk thermodynamical glass transition, we show that the glass-vapor interface is generally wetted by a liquid layer of thickness ~ -ln(T*-T) when T--> T*. Contrary to standard surface melting of crystals however, the integrated value of the diffusivity across the interface remains finite for T-->T*. Difference in shape induced by bulk and by surface flow is discussed as a possible means of experimental detection of surface defreezing.Comment: five pages, three figure