We present a mechanistically faithful and mathematically sound approach to the numerical simulation of secondary thermal cracks propagation in EGS based on the variational approach to fracture [1-4]. While remaining compatible with classical theories, this approach provides a unified framework to crack nucleation, full path identification, including interaction between multiple cracks, branchin...

Using molecular dynamics with an accurate many-body potential for metallic Tantalum, we studied crack propagation in a pre-notched nano-slab under uniaxial strain in a [100] direction. We study dislocation emission from the crack tip for various strain rate and temperatures, focusing on the influence of the local temperature at the crack tip on the propagation of the crack. We find a close conn...

The fundamentals associated with acoustic emission monitoring of fatigue crack initiation and propagation of Ti-6AI-4V were studied. Acoustic emission can detect and locate incipient fatigue crack extensions of approximately 1 0 gm. The technique therefore can serve as a sensitive warning to material failure. There are three distinct stages during which acoustic emission is generated. These sta...

We propose a new two-dimensional meshing algorithm called PINW able to generate meshes that accurately approximate the distance between any two domain points by paths composed only of cell edges. This technique is based on an extension of pinwheel tilings proposed by Radin and Conway. We prove that the algorithm produces triangles of bounded aspect ratio. This kind of mesh would be useful in co...

We propose a new two-dimensional meshing algorithm called PINW able to generate meshes that accurately approximate the distance between any two domain points by paths composed only of cell edges. This technique is based on an extension of pinwheel tilings proposed by Radin and Conway. We prove that the algorithm produces triangles of bounded aspect ratio. This kind of mesh would be useful in co...

Impurities segregated to grain boundaries of a material essentially alter its fracture behavior. A prime example is sulfur segregation-induced embrittlement of nickel, where an observed relation between sulfur-induced amorphization of grain boundaries and embrittlement remains unexplained. Here, 48x10(6)-atom reactive-force-field molecular dynamics simulations provide the missing link. Namely, ...