Seminar Series - 2002-2003

A Theory of Continuum Mechanics That Allows Discontinuities

Stewart Silling
Computational Physics Department
Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque, New Mexico
 
Date:  Tuesday, October 15, 2002
Time:  3:30 p.m.
Place:  W183 Nebraska Hall


The classical theory of continuum mechanics is formulated in terms of partial differential equations, yet there are many problems of fundamental interest in which these PDE’s cannot be applied directly. An example is a crack: the required spatial derivatives do not exist on the surface of discontinuity. To help remedy this situation, an alternative theory of continuum mechanics, called the peridynamic model, is being developed. This theory is based on integral equations that remain equally valid regardless of whether discontinuities such as cracks appear during the process of deformation. This approach, and its numerical implementation in the Emu code, is showing promise for the simulation of problems in which cracks emerge spontaneously and interact with each other in possibly complex ways.


Back to 2002-2003 Seminars List