A model of crystal plasticity based on the theory of continuously distributed dislocations (Q5933906)

This original work represents an interesting attempt at developing a continuum theory of the elastic-plastic response of single crystals at a relatively small scale, basing on ideas rooted in the theory of continuously distributed dislocations. This means that constitutive inputs of the theory include by necessity such notions as those of dislocation velocity, dislocation generation and crystal elasticity. Constitutive nonlocality represented by the introduction of gradients is a natural consequence of physical considerations of the model that reduces to a nonlinear theory of continuously distributed dislocations in the case of nonevolving distribution of dislocations. To that purpose the author constructs a plasticity theory that explicitly includes the notion of dislocation density tensor and the evolution for the slip-system dislocation density, leading to an evolutionary statement for slip-system dislocation density, with flux and source terms to be defined from physical considerations. In his construct the author includes ideas from Peach and Koehler, and experimental observations. He proposes thus an evolution equation for the slip deformation tensor. A special case is a geometrically linear theory where illustrative examples are developed. These include static problems (where the dislocation density distribution is assumed to be known), the problem of a screw dislocation in a neo-Hookean elastic solid, and the problem of edge dislocation in an otherwise isotropic linear elastic medium. The proposed theory appears to produce physically reasonable results but, as admitted by the author himself, much work remains to be done in evaluating it further and exploring its physical implications.