Surface instability of a semi-infinite anisotropic elastic body under surface van der Waals forces

We investigate the surface instability of an anisotropic elastic half-plane subjected to surface van der Waals forces due to the influence of another rigid contactor by means of the Stroh formalism. It is observed that the surface of a generally anisotropic elastic half-plane subjected to van der Waals forces from another rigid flat is always unstable. The wave number of the surface wrinkling is only reliant on the positive M-22 component of the 3 x 3 surface admittance tensor M, the van der Waals interaction coefficient beta and the surface energy gamma of the elastic half-plane. The decay rate of surface perturbation along the direction normal to the surface of the anisotropic half-plane is different from the wave number, a phenomenon different from that observed for an isotropic half-plane. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.