Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 22, 2026
10:32
Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
Published on: February 1, 2016
34.9K
Inelastic response of silicon to shock compression.
A Higginbotham1, P G Stubley1, A J Comley2
1Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
Scientific Reports
|April 14, 2016
Summary
Researchers observed complex strain in laser-compressed silicon using X-ray diffraction. Molecular dynamics modeling suggests a pressure-induced phase transition explains anomalous elastic waves and provides kinetic transition timescales.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Solid Mechanics
Background:
- The elastic and inelastic response of [001] oriented silicon under laser compression remains poorly understood despite extensive research.
- Previous studies have reported 'anomalous' elastic waves, but their origin is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the complex elastic strain profiles in laser-compressed [001] silicon.
- To elucidate the cause of previously observed anomalous elastic waves.
- To determine the kinetic timescales of pressure-induced phase transitions in silicon.
Main Methods:
- Experimental X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to capture strain profiles on nanosecond timescales.
- Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and elasticity code modeling were employed to interpret the experimental data.
Main Results:
- Complex elastic strain profiles were observed in laser-compressed silicon samples.
- MD and elasticity modeling indicate a pressure-induced phase transition is responsible for the anomalous elastic waves.
- The study provides measurements of the kinetic timescales for this transition.
Conclusions:
- A pressure-induced phase transition is identified as the cause of anomalous elastic waves in laser-compressed silicon.
- The findings offer a new model for understanding silicon's rapid compression behavior.
- This research advances the understanding of dynamic material responses under extreme conditions.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Plastic Behavior
698
A material's elastic behavior is characterized by the disappearance of stress once the load is removed, allowing the material to return to its original state. However, when stress surpasses the yield point, yielding commences, marking the onset of plastic deformation or permanent set. This change from elastic to plastic behavior is influenced by the peak stress value and the duration before the load is removed. An intriguing observation occurs when a specimen is loaded, unloaded, and...
698
01:20Elastic Strain Energy for Shearing Stresses
593
As discussed in previous lessons, strain energy in a material is the energy stored when it is elastically deformed, a concept crucial in materials science and mechanical engineering. This energy results from the internal work done against the cohesive forces within the material. When a material undergoes shearing stress and corresponding shearing strain, the strain energy density, which is the energy stored per unit volume, is calculated. Within the elastic limit, where the stress is...
593
01:19Members Made of Elastoplastic Material
476
The behavior of elastoplastic materials under bending stresses, particularly in structural members with rectangular cross-sections, is crucial for predicting material responses and understanding failure modes. Initially, when a bending moment is applied, the stress distribution across the section follows Hooke's Law and is linear and elastic. This distribution means the stress increases from the neutral axis to the maximum at the outer fibers, up to the elastic limit.
As the bending moment...
As the bending moment...
476
01:16Dynamic Modulus of Elasticity of Concrete
1.2K
The dynamic modulus of elasticity assesses how a concrete structure deforms under impact or dynamic loads. It is typically higher than the static modulus of elasticity, measured under slow, steady loading conditions.
The sonic test is a common method to determine the dynamic modulus. In this test, a concrete beam, sized either 6 x 6 x 30 inches or 4 x 4 x 20 inches, is clamped at its center. Vibrations are initiated at one end of the beam by an electromagnetic exciter unit powered by a...
The sonic test is a common method to determine the dynamic modulus. In this test, a concrete beam, sized either 6 x 6 x 30 inches or 4 x 4 x 20 inches, is clamped at its center. Vibrations are initiated at one end of the beam by an electromagnetic exciter unit powered by a...
1.2K
01:20Elasticity in Concrete
437
Upon subjecting concrete to moderate or high uniaxial compressive or tensile stresses, the strain response is non-linear relative to the stress applied. As the stress is removed, the resulting stress-strain curve deviates from the original path traced during loading, creating a hysteresis loop, indicative of the concrete's non-linear and non-elastic properties. Typically, a material's modulus of elasticity, which is a measure of the material's stiffness, is inferred from the linear...
437
01:20Types of Semiconductors
1.7K
Intrinsic semiconductors are highly pure materials with no impurities. At absolute zero, these semiconductors behave as perfect insulators because all the valence electrons are bound, and the conduction band is empty, disallowing electrical conduction. The Fermi level is a concept used to describe the probability of occupancy of energy levels by electrons at thermal equilibrium. In intrinsic semiconductors, the Fermi level is positioned at the midpoint of the energy gap at absolute zero. When...
1.7K