Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of fracture and deformation

We have discussed the prospects of applying massively parallel molecular dynamics simulation to investigate brittle versus ductile fracture behaviors and dislocation intersection. This idea is illustrated by simulating dislocation emission from a three-dimensional crack. Unprecedentedly, the dislocation loops emitted from the crack fronts have been observed. It is found that dislocation-emission modes, jogging or blunting, are very sensitive to boundary conditions and interatomic potentials. These 3D phenomena can be effectively visualized and analyzed by a new technique, namely, plotting only those atoms within the certain ranges of local potential energies.