Conical Defects in Growing Sheets

Abstract

A growing or shrinking disc will adopt a conical shape, its intrinsic geometry characterized by a surplus angle phi(e) at the apex. If growth is slow, the cone will find its equilibrium. Whereas this is trivial if phi(e)<or=0, the disc can fold into one of a discrete infinite number of states if phi(e)>0. We construct these states in the regime where bending dominates and determine their energies and how stress is distributed in them. For each state a critical value of phi(e) is identified beyond which the cone touches itself. Before this occurs, all states are stable; the ground state has twofold symmetry.