Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
Effects of the orientational distribution of cracks in solids
Stefano Giordano1, Luciano Colombo
1Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Ca), Italy.
Abstract:
We derive a theory for the elastic characterization of multicracked solids based on a homogenization technique. We consider a material containing a two-dimensional arbitrary distribution of parallel slit cracks which is elastically equivalent to a crystal with orthorhombic symmetry. We obtain explicit expressions for the macroscopic elastic stiffness tensor which is found to depend upon both the density of cracks and their angular distribution, here described by a suitable order parameter. For the isotropic case, we find that the degradation depends exponentially on the crack density. In addition, we show an unusual elastic behavior of a multicracked medium in the plane strain condition: for a negative Poisson ratio, we obtain an effective Young modulus greater than the actual value of the host matrix.
Related Concept Videos
Structures of Solids
X-ray Crystallography
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Relation between Poisson's ratio, Modulus of Elasticity and Modulus of Rigidity
Transformation of Plane Stress
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Point, Line and Plane Defects
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Stoichiometric Point Defects

