Asymptotics for the biharmonic equation near the tip of a crack (Q4254041)

A mathematical model of a crack in a two-dimensional uniform elastic medium occupying a bounded domain \(\Omega\) consists of the following system \[ \begin{aligned} &\Delta^2 \varphi=0\quad \text{ in} \Omega\setminus \Gamma(t),\qquad \varphi\in H^2(\Omega),\\ &\varphi=\partial \varphi/\partial n=0\quad \text{ from\;both\;sides\;of} \Gamma(t),\\ &\varphi=g,\;\partial \varphi/\partial n=h\quad \text{ on} \partial \Omega,\end{aligned} \] with \(\varphi=\varphi(x)=\varphi(x_1,x_2)\) being the stress function. Here \(\Gamma\) is the crack taken to be a curve of the form \(x_2=f(x_1),\) \(-1\leq x_1\leq 0,\) contained in \(\Omega\) except for its initial point \((-1,f(-1))\) which lies on \(\partial \Omega,\) and \(f(0)=f'(0)=0.\) The authors are interested in the behaviour of \(\varphi\) near the origin under very weak assumptions on the regularity of \(f(x_1)\). The main results of the paper are the following ones: (i) Let \(f\in C^{1+\alpha}[-\delta_0,0].\) Then, \[ \varphi(r,\theta)= A_1 r^{3/2} B_1(\theta)+ A_2 r^{3/2} B_2(\theta) +O(r^{2-\eta}) \] for any \(\eta>0\) such that \(\alpha+\eta>1/2.\) (ii) Let \(f\in C^{2+\alpha}[-\delta_0,0].\) Then, \[ \varphi(r,\theta)= A_1 r^{3/2} B_1(\theta)+ A_2 r^{3/2} B_2(\theta) + A_3 r^{2} B_3(\theta) + A_4 r^{5/2} B_4(\theta) \] \[ +A_5 r^{5/2} B_5(\theta) - 2A_2 r^{5/2} f''(0) \cos (1/2) +O(r^{3-\eta}) \] for any \(\eta>0\) such that \(\alpha+\eta>1/2\).