Research Projects

The antiplane slip wave is a recently discovered (Ranjith, 2017a, 2017b) interfacial wave that completes the family of fundamental interfacial wave solutions in 2D elasticity theory. It occurs in frictionless antiplane sliding of an elastic layer on an elastic half-plane or a layer. It is closely related to the well-known Love wave. Destabilization of interfacial elastic waves due to friction is a mechanism by which dynamic ruptures nucleate and propagate. This has been seen previously in the context of the in-plane slip wave. Analytical and numerical results have made predictions of this mechanism and it has been confirmed by experiments. Using a combined analytical and numerical approach, it is proposed to conduct the first comprehensive study of the role of the antiplane slip wave in rupture dynamics. The analytical studies will be linear stability analyses incorporating linearized forms of rate- and state-dependent friction laws. The growth rate of instabilities and their phase velocities will be calculated. The numerical studies will be fully non-linear simulations. A new spectral boundary integral method is proposed to be developed to perform the numerical calculations. The analytical and numerical studies will be used to make predictions of aspects of dynamic rupture propagation such as rupture speeds, directionality and mode of propagation. The results are expected to enhance fundamental understanding of the mechanics of dynamic ruptures.