Crumpling wires in two dimensions

TL;DR

This study uses energy-minimal simulations to analyze the patterns and mechanical properties of elastically crumpled wires in two dimensions, revealing universal exponents and their dependence on plasticity parameters.

Contribution

Introduces a simulation method to study 2D crumpled wires, identifying universal exponents and their relation to plasticity, aligning with experimental data.

Findings

Mass exponent D_M=1.33 is universal.

Stiffness exponent α=-0.25 is universal but depends on plasticity.

Simulation results agree with experimental observations.

Abstract

An energy-minimal simulation is proposed to study the patterns and mechanical properties of elastically crumpled wires in two dimensions. We varied the bending rigidity and stretching modulus to measure the energy allocation, size-mass exponent, and the stiffness exponent. The mass exponent is shown to be universal at value $D_{M}=1.33$. We also found that the stiffness exponent $\alpha =-0.25$ is universal, but varies with the plasticity parameters $s$ and $\theta_{p}$. These numerical findings agree excellently with the experimental results.