Casimir force and its effects on pull-in instability modelled using molecular dynamics simulations.

We present a new methodology to incorporate the Casimir forces within the molecular dynamics (MD) framework. At atomistic scales, the potential energy between two particles arising due to the Casimir effect can be represented as ( ) = / . Incorporating the Casimir effect in MD simulations requires the knowledge of , a problem hitherto unsolved.

A review of Winkler's foundation and its profound influence on adhesion and soft matter applications.

Few advanced mechanics of materials solutions have found broader and more enduring applications than Emil Winkler's beam on elastic foundation analysis, first published in 1867. Now, 150 years after its introduction, this concept continues to enjoy widespread use in its original application field of civil engineering, and has also had a profound effect on the field of adhesion mechanics, including for soft matter adhesion phenomena. A review of the model is presented with a focus on applications to adhesion science, highlighting classical works that utilize the model as well as recent usages that extend its scope.

Nonequilibrium temperature measurement in a thermal conduction process.

We identify the temperature being measured by a thermometer in a nonequilibrium scenario by studying heat conduction in a three-dimensional Lennard-Jones (LJ) system whose two ends are kept at different temperatures. It is accomplished by modeling the thermometer particles also with the LJ potential but with added tethers to prevent their rigid body motion. These models of the system and the thermometer mimic a real scenario in which a mechanical thermometer is "inserted" into a system and kept there long enough for the temperature to reach a steady value.

Effects of van der Waals Force and Thermal Stresses on Pull-in Instability of Clamped Rectangular Microplates.

We study the influence of von Karman nonlinearity, van der Waals force, and a athermal stresses on pull-in instability and small vibrations of electrostatically actuated mi-croplates. We use the Galerkin method to develop a tractable reduced-order model for elec-trostatically actuated clamped rectangular microplates in the presence of van der Waals forcesand thermal stresses. More specifically, we reduce the governing two-dimensional nonlineartransient boundary-value problem to a single nonlinear ordinary differential equation.

Effect of electromechanical coupling on static deformations and natural frequencies.

A two-way coupled electromechanical theory is used to study static deformations and free vibrations of a laminated hybrid rectangular plate comprised of either piezoceramic (PZT) layers or patches embedded at arbitrary locations in graphite/epoxy layers. A first-order shear deformation theory is used to develop equations for the plate which are solved by the finite-element method (FEM) using eight-node isoparametric elements. Static deflections and natural frequencies computed with open-circuited PZT layers are found to differ significantly from those of grounded PZT layers.