Presidential Young Investigator Award: Quasi-Static and Dynamic Fracture of Ductile Solids

本研究探讨了塑性固体（主要是结构钢）的准静态和动态断裂的物理过程。具体来说，惯性、塑性和速率敏感性的影响将通过实验和分析建模来研究。塑性和动载荷的强烈影响，以及它们之间的相互作用，使得这些问题在建立必要的设计程序以避免断裂破坏时尤为重要。在高韧性固体中，将开发裂纹萌生和扩展的分析模型，并将这些模型的预测与实验观察结果进行比较。该研究还涉及光学技术的发展，以提供有关近裂纹尖端应变和位移场结构的直接信息。

This research investigates the physical processes involved in the quasistatic and dynamic fracture of ductile solids, primarily structural steels. Specifically, the effects of inertia, plasticity, and rate sensitivity will be studied through experiments and analytical modeling. The strong effect of plasticity and dynamic loading, and their interaction, makes such problems particularly important in the establishment of the necessary design procedures to be used to avoid failure by fracture. Analytical models will be developed for crack initiation and growth in highly ductile solids, and predictions of these models will be compared with experimental observations. The research also involves the development of optical techniques to provide direct information about the structure of the near-crack tip strain and displacement fields.