A reconciliation of dynamic crack velocity and Rayleigh wave speed in isotropic brittle solids

Abstract

Following earlier observations of multiple micro-crack formation accompanying crack propagation under dynamic conditions, the question regarding the discrepancy between the ‘theoretically anticipated’ maximal crack (Rayleigh wave) speed and those observed typically in amorphous, isotropic solids is examined experimentally. It is shown that if the production of these multiple micro-cracks ahead of the main fracture is suppressed by fabricating a material possessing a thin uniform region of vanishing intrinsic (molecular/atomic) material strength, the crack speed is materially increased to the point of approaching the Rayleigh wave speed. Moreover, it is also shown that the presence of small discreet flaws of sufficient spatial density similarly ‘weakens’ the material to produce fracture speeds comparable to the Rayleigh wave speed. One deduces, therefore, that for a single crack front the linearized theory of elastodynamics correctly predicts the dynamic crack propagation behavior of a solid with sufficiently low material strength.