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Local structure controls shear and bulk moduli in disordered solids


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Authors

Schlegel, M. 
Brujic, J. 
Terentjev, E. M. 
Zaccone, A. 

Abstract

Paradigmatic model systems, which are used to study the mechanical response of matter, are random networks of point-atoms, random sphere packings, or simple crystal lattices; all of these models assume central-force interactions between particles/atoms. Each of these models differs in the spatial arrangement and the correlations among particles. In turn, this is reflected in the widely different behaviours of the shear (G) and compression (K) elastic moduli. The relation between the macroscopic elasticity as encoded in G, K and their ratio, and the microscopic lattice structure/order, is not understood. We provide a quantitative analytical connection between the local orientational order and the elasticity in model amorphous solids with different internal microstructure, focusing on the two opposite limits of packings (strong excluded-volume) and networks (no excluded-volume). The theory predicts that, in packings, the local orientational order due to excluded-volume causes less nonaffinity (less softness or larger stiffness) under compression than under shear. This leads to lower values of G/K, a well-documented phenomenon which was lacking a microscopic explanation. The theory also provides an excellent one-parameter description of the elasticity of compressed emulsions in comparison with experimental data over a broad range of packing fractions.

Description

This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep18724

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Journal Title

Scientific Reports

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Journal ISSN

Volume Title

6

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group
Sponsorship
This work was supported by the Theoretical Condensed Matter programme grant from EPSRC. M.S. thanks the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for their financial support.