Intersonic crack propagation in homogeneous media under shear-dominated loading: theoretical analysis

The mechanics of cohesive failure under mixed-mode loading is investigated for the case of a steadily propagating subsonic and intersonic dynamic crack subjected to a follower tensile and shear distributed load. The cohesive failure model chosen in this study is rate independent but accounts for the coupling between normal and tangential damage. Special emphasis is placed here on mixed-mode cases with predominantly shear loading. The analysis shows that the size of the mixed-mode cohesive zone is smaller than that obtained in the pure shear case. The relative extent of the shear and tensile cohesive damage zones depends on the crack speed and the mode mixity. In the intersonic regime, the failure process takes place exclusively in shear, even under remote mixed-mode loading conditions.     

Mn site substitution of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 with closed shell ions: Effect on magnetic transition temperature

Mn site is substituted with closed shell ions (Al, Ga, Ti, Zr and a certain combination of Zr and Al) and also with Fe and Ru ions carrying the magnetic moment (S=5/2 and 2 respectively) at a fixed concentration of 5 at %. Substitution did not change either the crystal symmetry or the oxygen stoichiometry. All substituents were found to suppress both the metal-insulator and ferromagnetic transition temperatures (T _p(ρ) and T _C, respectively) to varied extents. Two main contributions identified for the suppression are the lattice disorder arising due to difference in the ionic radii between the substituent (r _M) and the Mn³⁺ ion (r _Mn ³⁺) and in the case of the substituents carrying a magnetic moment, the type of magnetic coupling between the substituent and that of the neighboring Mn ion.     

Stress Concentration Factor in Functionally Graded Plates with Circular Holes Subjected to Anti-plane Shear Loading

Stress concentration factors due to the presence of geometrical discontinuities (circular holes) in functionally graded plates are derived. The material property inhomogeneity is assumed to be in the radial direction originating at the center of the plate. Variable separable closed-form solutions are obtained for the stresses and displacements in functionally graded plates (without and with holes) subjected to anti-plane shear loading. The stresses in functionally graded plates without a hole are not homogeneous as it is in the case of homogeneous plates. Either a stress concentration (more than the applied stress) or dilution (less than the applied stress) occurs depending on whether the modulus increases (hardening graded material) or decreases (softening graded material) away from the center of the graded plate without a hole. A novel definition of the stress concentration factor due to the geometrical discontinuity in functionally graded plates is derived. The effect of the circular hole in functionally graded plates is to magnify (compared to homogeneous plates) the stress concentration when the modulus decreases away from the center of the hole (softening material). Beneficial reduction of the stress concentration factor is achieved in hardening functionally graded materials.     

DSC analysis of Cu–Zn–Sn shape memory alloy fabricated via electrodeposition route

Cu–Zn–Sn shape memory alloy strips with composition range of 13.70–46.30 mass% Sn were fabricated by electrodepositing Sn on a shim brass surface and then subsequently annealed at a constant temperature of 400 °C for 120 min under flowing nitrogen. Subjecting the Sn-plated strips to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed that the austenitic start (A _s) temperature was essentially constant at 225 °C while the martensite start (M _s) temperature was consistently within the 221.5–222 °C interval. Austenite to martensite phase transformation showed two distinct peaks on the DSC thermogram which can be attributed to the non-homogeneity of the bulk Cu–Zn–Sn ternary alloy. The latent heats of cooling and heating were found to increase with the mass% Sn plated on the shim brass. Effect of annealing temperature was also investigated wherein strips with an essentially constant composition of 26 mass% Sn were annealed at a temperature range of 350–420 °C for 120 min under flowing nitrogen. Varying the annealing temperature has no significant effect on the transformation temperatures of the ternary alloy.     

Experimental evidence of time-delay-induced death in coupled limit-cycle oscillators

Experimental observations of time-delay-induced amplitude death in two coupled nonlinear electronic circuits that are individually capable of exhibiting limit-cycle oscillations are described. The existence of multiply connected death islands in the parameter space of coupling strength and time delay for coupled identical oscillators is established. The existence of such regions was predicted earlier on theoretical grounds [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 5109 (1998); Physica (Amsterdam) 129D, 15 (1999)]. The experiments also reveal the occurrence of multiple frequency states, frequency suppression of oscillations with increased time delay, and the onset of both in-phase and antiphase collective oscillations.     

Cohesive modeling of low-velocity impact damage in layered functionally graded beams

Numerical analysis of the low-velocity impact damage of a layered composite beam with a functionally graded core is performed using the multiple-isoparametric cohesive volume finite element (MCVFE) scheme. A mixed-mode intrinsic cohesive zone model is used to simulate the spontaneous damage initiation and growth in this work. The inhomogeneous Young’s modulus variation is assumed to be symmetric about the neutral plane. Our parametric simulations showed that the energetics of damage is altered by the presence of a functionally graded core. The effect of including a functionally graded core is to advance the time of fracture initiation compared to a cross-ply (90°) core. The assumed symmetry and linear inhomogeneity leads to the energetics for the graded core to be similar to those observed for a 45° core ply-orientation.     

Autosoliton model of the spinning fronts of reaction

Experiments with reaction fronts (detonation waves and solidflames) reveal that, near the combustion limit, the fronts movein a spinning regime when localized zones of intensive reactiontravel along spiral trajectories. In the paper, the spinningwave is interpreted as an autosoliton and described phenomenologicallyby a nonlinear partial differential equation. The equation isstudied numerically, and the presence of the stable spinningand autosoliton solutions is shown.