Dresden 2006 – scientific programme

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DY: Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 16: Growth Processes and Surface Properties

DY 16.2: Talk

Monday, March 27, 2006, 16:30–16:45, H\"UL 186

Phase Field Modeling of Crack Propagation — •Robert Spatschek, Clemens Mueller-Gugenberger, Efim Brener, and Heiner Mueller-Krumbhaar — Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Forschungszentrum 52425 Juelich

The phenomenon of fracture is of extraordinary relevance for our life. Cracks occur on all scales from nano- to kilometers, from tiny microcracks in material failure to the geological scales of earthquakes. Therefore, it is not surprising that a full modeling of rupture requires to separate a whole hierarchy of lengthscales, from the detailed structure of the tip region to the macroscopic scale of stress relaxation. Obviously, this leads to enormous numerical calculations. We present a simple theory that describes the entire fracture process in the framework of a macroscopic continuum theory of pattern formation, based only on the dynamical elasticity and phase transition dynamics. A phase field model is employed to solve the equations numerically on massively parallel computers with many hundreds of processors. We discuss predictions, limitations and possible extensions to the model.