Two-dimensional scaling properties of experimental fracture surfaces

Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Jan 27;96(3):035506. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.035506. Epub 2006 Jan 25.

Abstract

The self-affine properties of postmortem fracture surfaces in silica glass and aluminum alloy were investigated through the 2D height-height correlation function. They are observed to exhibit anisotropy. The roughness, dynamic, and growth exponents are determined and shown to be the same for the two materials, irrespective of the crack velocity. These exponents are conjectured to be universal.