CRACKS IN GRADIENT ELASTIC BODIES WITH SURFACE-ENERGY

In the present paper the effect of higher order gradients on the struc ture of line-crack tips is determined. In particular we introduce. in the constitutive equations of the linear deformation of an elastic sol id a volumetric energy term, which includes the contribution of the st rain gradient, and a surface energy gradient dependent term and then d etermine the effect of these terms on the structure of the mode-III cr ack tip and the associated stress and strain fields. By making use of the solution in terms of Fourier transform of the equation of elastic equilibrium we solve the half-plane boundary value problems of: (a) sp ecified tractions, and (b) prescribed displacements, along the crack s urface, respectively.