Multiscale Modelling of Plasticity and Fracture by means of Dislocation Mechanics
July 4, 2005 — July 8, 2005
Coordinators:
- Reinhard Pippan (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Leoben, Austria)
- Peter Gumbsch (Fraunhofer Institut f., Freiburg, Germany)
Understanding the fundamentals of plastic deformation and fracture of crystalline materials is directly related to dislocation theory. Plasticity, fracture and dislocation theory are indeed longstanding challenges which have recently undergone a revival through development of new theoretical and experimental methods as well as the improvement of computer power. For the successful design of micron or submicron devices the knowledge of the mechanical response of materials in the nanometer regime are essential. This importance of the plastic behaviour from the mesoscale down to the atomic level for nanotechnology gave further important impulses to this field.
Plasticity and fracture are multi-scale material problems. The course will be focused to regimes from the atomistic to the mesoscale. The central part will be the discrete dislocation mechanics and the neighbouring fields below and above, molecular dynamics and crystal plasticity, respectively. The lectures give an introduction to the physical phenomena, the theoretical basis, the mathematical description and the types of simulations. Different important practical problems – plasticity of thin films, mechanics of nanocrystalline materials and usual polycrystalline materials, nanoindentation, fatigue crack propagation, brittle and semi-brittle fracture etc. – will be used as examples. The advantages and limitations of each method (molecular dynamics, discrete dislocation mechanics, and crystal plasticity) the type of problems which can be analysed and the answers, which can be obtained by them as well as the interconnection of the different hierarchy levels will be an important part in the different lectures.
The theoretical and computational lectures are complemented by lectures about new experimental techniques to study plasticity on the micron-, submicron- and nanoscale. This will include the determination of mechanical data in this regime, the structural changes and analyses of the atomistic processes.
The course will bring together experts dealing with material science, mechanics, experimental and computational techniques at the different scales of plastic deformation of crystalline materials.
The course is addressed to master students, PhDs, post docs and experienced researchers in engineering and science who wish to broaden their knowledge and experience in dislocation mechanics and its impact to deformation and fracture of materials as well as on its consequences for the design of micro and nanodevices.