Published in

Nature Research, Nature, 6825(410), p. 166-166, 2001

DOI: 10.1038/35065517

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Spiral cracks without twisting

Journal article published in 2001 by K.-T. Leung, L. Jozsa, M. Ravasz ORCID, Z. Neda
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Orange circle
Postprint: archiving restricted
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

A fascinating class of patterns, often encountered in nature as meandering cracks on rocks, dried-out fields and tectonic plates is produced by the fracture of solids. Here we report the observation and modeling of an unusual type of patterns consisting of spiral cracks within fragments of a thin layer of drying precipitate. We find that this symmetry-breaking cracking mode arises naturally not from twisting forces, but from a propagating stress front induced by the fold-up of the fragments. ; Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure