Behavior of bulk melt-textured YBCO single domains subjected to crossed magnetic fields

We have experimentally investigated the crossed magnetic field effects on bulk melt-processed YBCO single domains. The samples were first permanently magnetized along their c-axis and then subjected to several cycles of a transverse magnetic field parallel to the ab planes. The magnetic properties along the c and ab directions were simultaneously measured using a couple of orthogonal pick-up coils as well as a Hall probe placed against the sample surface. The effects of both sweep amplitude and polarity were investigated. Field sweeps of alternate polarities are shown to affect the decay of the c-axis magnetization much more strongly than field sweeps of unique polarity do. However, the c-axis magnetization does not show any saturation even after a large number of field sweeps. Next, a micro-Hall probe scanning system was used to measure the distribution of magnetic induction over the top surface of the single domain subjected to the same combination of magnetic fields. The results are shown to be consistent with those determined with the sensing coils and bring out the role played by geometric effects.

Discrete dislocation plasticity analysis of crack-tip fields in polycrystalline materials

Small scale yielding around a mode I crack is analysed using polycrystalline discrete dislocation plasticity. Plane strain analyses are carried out with the dislocations all of edge character and modelled as line singularities in a linear elastic material. The lattice resistance to dislocation motion, nucleation, interaction with obstacles and annihilation are incorporated through a set of constitutive rules. Grain boundaries are modelled as impenetrable to dislocations. The polycrystalline material is taken to consist of two types of square grains, one of which has a bcc-like orientation and the other an fcc-like orientation. For both orientations there are three active slip systems. Alternating rows, alternating columns and a checker-board-like arrangement of the grains is used to construct the polycrystalline materials. Consistent with the increasing yield strength of the polycrystalline material with decreasing grain size, the calculations predict a decrease in both the plastic zone size and the crack-tip opening displacement for a given applied mode I stress intensity factor. Furthermore, slip-band and kink-band formation is inhibited by all grain arrangements and, with decreasing grain size, the stress and strain distributions more closely resemble the HRR fields with the crack-tip opening approximately inversely proportional to the yield strength of the polycrystalline materials. The calculations predict a reduction in fracture toughness with decreasing grain size associated with the grain boundaries acting as effective barriers to dislocation motion.