Crack-Tip Strain Field in Supershear Crack of Elastomers

Abstract

We characterize the crack-tip strain field in the high-speed (supershear) crack in the elastomers propagating faster than the shear wave speed of sound (<i>C</i>_s). The dependence of steady-state crack velocity (<i>V</i>) on input tearing energy exhibits a crossover at <i>V</i> ≈ <i>C</i>_s between the subsonic (<i>V</i> < <i>C</i>_s) and supershear cracks (<i>V</i> > <i>C</i>_s). Several features of the crack-tip strain field such as strain-magnitude, extent boundary, and singularity exponent also change substantially accompanying the transition from subsonic to supershear cracks. The definite crossover of these characteristics at <i>V</i> ≈ <i>C</i>_s reflects the variations in the crack-growth mechanism: The inertia effect comes into play in the supershear crack. We also demonstrate that the azimuthal distribution of the local crack-tip strain has a close correlation with the macroscopic crack-tip shape, regardless of the regime of <i>V</i>.