Session Themes > Session 3 - Fracture - mechanics and physics of critical and subcritical processes

Conveners: J. Mathiesen, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen and D. Koehn, University of Glasgow

Keynote Speakers:

Alex Hansen, NTNU, Trondheim,

Stéphane Santucci, Laboratoire de Physique, ENS Lyon

K.J. Maloy, University of Oslo

Fracture is a universal failure mode of solid materials and an important example of pattern formation under conditions far from equilibrium. The long-range coupling between fractures and host medium makes fracture growth a challenging problem. In general, the stress/strain fields that control fracture growth depend on the growth history, material heterogeneity as well as the presence of reactive components in the host medium and/or the fracture apertures. In this session, we welcome contributions of both experimental and theoretical character that illuminate fundamental properties of both dynamical fracture and subcritical fracture growth.