Crack dynamics and crack surfaces in elastic beam lattices

Abstract

The dynamics of propagating cracks is analyzed in elastic two-dimensional lattices of beams. At early times, inertia effects and static stress enhancement combine so that the crack-tip velocity is found to behave as t1/7. At late times a minimal crack-tip model reproduces the numerical simulation results. With no disorder and for fast loading, a “mirror-mist-mirror” crack-surface pattern emerges. Introduction of disorder leads, however, to the formation of the “mirror-mist-hackle”–type interface typical in many experimental situations.