Wall effects on spatial correlations of non-affine strain in a 3D model glass

TL;DR

This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to explore how hard walls influence the spatial correlations of non-affine strain in 3D amorphous solids, revealing enhanced correlations near walls but suppressed amplitude due to molecular scale effects.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how boundary conditions affect strain correlations at different scales in amorphous materials.

Findings

Correlations are enhanced near the wall within layers.

Correlation amplitude is suppressed by the wall.

Wall effects operate at both continuum and molecular scales.

Abstract

Effects of hard planar walls with a particle scale roughness on the spatial correlations of non-affine strain in amorphous solids are investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. When determined within layers parallel to the wall plane, normalized non-affine strain correlations are enhanced within layers closer to the wall. The amplitude of these correlations, on the other hand, is found to be suppressed by the wall. While the former is connected to the effects of a hard boundary on the continuum mechanics scale, the latter is attributed to molecular scale wall effects on the size of the region (nearest neighbor cage), explored by particles on intermediate times scales.