Dynamic crack propagation in a 2D elastic body. The out-of plane case

We discuss the propagation of a running crack under shear waves in a rigorous mathematical way for a simplified model. This model is described by two coupled equations in the actual configuration: a two-dimensional scalar wave equation in a cracked bounded domain and an ordinary differential equation derived from an energy balance law. The unknowns are the displacement fields u = u (y, t) and the one-dimensional crack tip trajectory h = h (t). We handle both equations separately, assuming at first that the crack position is known. Existence and uniqueness of strong solutions of the wave equation are studied and the crack-tip singularities are derived under the assumption that the crack is straight and moves tangentially. Using an energy balance law and the crack tip behaviour of the displacement fields we finally arrive at an ordinary differential equation for h (t), called equation of motion for the crack tip. We demonstrate the crack-tip motion with corresponding nonuniformly crack speed by numerical simulations. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)