Nonlinear dynamical analysis of crack surface perturbations and their dependence on velocity and direction (Q1432915)

The authors uses nonlinear dynamical analysis to interpret the highly perturbed surface of dynamic crack in single crystal brittle solids. The surface perturbations are generated in single crystal silicon, which serves as a model material with diamond-like crystal structure. It is demonstrated that the previous findings in sapphire are also valid for the crack profile in single crystal silicon, although its crystal structure and cleavage energies differ from those of sapphire. An extended analysis qualitatively shows the variations in the nonlinear behaviour of the perturbations as a function of changes in the velocity vector normal to the crack front and crystallographic orientation, indicating again that the surface perturbation are chaotic deterministic and governed by physical variables.