Critical crack length during fracture.

Abstract

Through controlled numerical simulations in a one-dimensional fiber bundle model with local stress concentration, we established an inverse correlation between the strength of the material and the cracks which grow inside it-both the maximum crack and the one that sets in instability within the system, defined to be the critical crack. Through the Pearson correlation function as well as probabilistic study of individual configurations, we found that the maximum and the critical crack often differ from each other unless the disorder strength is extremely low. A phase diagram on the plane of disorder vs system size demarcates between the regions where the largest crack is the most vulnerable one and where they differ from each other but still show moderate correlation.