iMechanica

Most theories and applications of elasticity rely on an energy function that depends on the strains from which the stresses can be derived. This is the traditional setting of Green elasticity, also known as hyper-elasticity. However, in its original form the theory of elasticity does not assume the existence of a strain energy function. In this case, called Cauchy elasticity, stresses are directly related to the strains. Since the emergence of modern elasticity in the 1940s, research on Cauchy elasticity has been relatively limited.

The Curie brothers, Pierre and Jacques, discovered the piezoelectric effect in 1880. The phenomenon has been exploited in many useful applications, such as for the pickup on the gramophone that registers the sound when it follows the winding groove in the vinyl record surface. It is also used in lighters that ignite a gas when the voltage gap between different locations exceeds the limit to produce a spark. When things are made smaller and smaller, passing mm's, microns down to nano scales, the piezoelectric effect is surpassed by the flexoelectric effect.

I have an opening PhD Position at my Chair of Computational Mechanics, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Germany).
The candidate should work on a research project including physics-based modeling of wafer-to-wafer bonding.
The application is open until 24th of April.

Please follow the link for the application: Apply here

``UNIFIED MICROMECHANICS THEORY of Composites” by Buryachenko has been created (see https:// arxiv.org/abs/2503.14529,  89pp, 514refs) for analyses of composites of either random (statistically homogeneous or inhomogeneous), periodic, or deterministic (neither random nor periodic) structures with either local, weakly nonlocal (strain gradient and stress gradient), strongly nonlocal (strain-type and displacement-type, peridynamics) or multiphysics phase properties and any unpredefined surrogate (effective) nonlocal operators.

A PhD position will be available at University of Pavia in Italy starting November 2025. 

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Prof. Giulia Scalet (giulia.scalet@unipv.it).

The candidate will work on new computational approaches for the simulation of smart polymers and hydrogels and their application to mechanobiology studies. 

The lab of Wave Engineering for eXtreme and Intelligent matTEr (We-Xite) has multiple openings for Pos-Doc, Ph.D. and M.Sc. positions. We are looking for exceptional and highly motivated candidates with background in Engineering, Physics, Materials or Mathematics. The research will have a balance between experimental characterizations, numerical simulations, and analytical derivations.

Extreme Mechanics Letters (EML) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Professor Xuanhe Zhao of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as Co-Editor-in-Chief of EML. Professor Zhao is a world-renowned expert in the mechanics of materials and soft robotics.

A compliantly fixed hemispherical indenter in adhesive contact with an elastic sample firmly bonded to a rigid base is considered under the assumption that the rigid base undergoes small-amplitude high-frequency normal (vertical) oscillations. A general law of the rate-dependent JKR-type adhesion is assumed, which relates the work of adhesion to the contact front velocity. Using the Bogoliubov averaging approach in combination with the method of harmonic balance, the leading-order asymptotic model is constructed for steady-state vibrations.

Dear members of the iMechanica community,

The deadline for abstract submission for the 
EuroSuperalloys - THE symposium for all things superalloy,
including modeling, DFT,  atomistic simulations and machine learning approaches for 
superalloys and metallic or intermetallic materials beyond superalloys -
is approaching fast: 31. March 25

For more information, see:
https://eurosuperalloys.sciencesconf.org/?lang=en

Looking forward to your contributions!

Erik

Are you passionate about solid mechanics and intrigued by machine learning? We are seeking a qualified candidate who can merge expertise from both fields to develop innovative tools for analyzing deformation and fracture in solid materials.

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a 1-year position starting on 15 August 2025 or as soon possible thereafter.

Job description

USACM Student Chapter Monthly Seminar.

Thursday, March 27, at 4PM - 5PM (Eastern time - New York). 

Speaker: Yifan Du, Johns Hopkins University

Title: The Evolutional deep neural network for time dependent PDEs

Fusion-based manufacturing techniques, such as laser welding and additive manufacturing, are revolutionising how we produce complex components across industries. Yet, one critical challenge persists: how do we reliably control and predict melt-pool behaviour to ensure high-quality outcomes? This question was at the heart of my PhD research, completed at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

I am pleased to share our newest open-access article just published in #ActaMaterialia. 

Applications are invited for a 2-year postdoc fellowship in the area of crystal plasticity finite element modeling of polycrystals. This position is a full-time position at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and the selected applicant can start from September 2025. In addition, this position is extendable for another year, depending on the availability of funds and the applicant’s performance.

Position Overview 

We invite applications for one Ph.D. position starting in September 2025, focusing on computational modeling of battery materials using at least one of the following methods: first-principles calculations (DFT), molecular dynamics (MD), and phase-field modeling. The research will target critical challenges in: 

1. Novel materials discovery for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) using calculations;

This is a reminder that our next monthly webinar is March 20, 3-4pm EDT. The speaker will be Youssef Marzouk from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Speaker: Youssef Marzouk, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Title: Sampling and generative modeling using dynamical representations of transport

I am happy to share our paper: “Gradient flow based phase-field modeling using separable neural networks”, published in Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering. 

I am organizing a mini-symposium on "Multiphysics Coupled Problems in Slender Structures" at the 2nd International Conference on Highly Flexible Slender Structures (HFSS 2025). The conference will take place from September 22–26, 2025, at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM, Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Multiscale.Sim coupled with Ansys Granta MI, offers a superior and faster solution to overcome your materials challenges ⇒ Read the article on Ansys Website

Abstract

While stacked objects are ubiquitous, there are few works devoted to modeling their dynamics. In a new paper “On the Dynamics of a Collapsing Stack of Blocks”, coauthored with Theresa Honein we use a generalized alpha numerical method developed by Capobianco et al [1] to simulate the collapse. The examples we consider include the Leaning Tower of Lyre and the collapse of a stack of blocks that is produced by harmonic excitation of a foundation.

Dear colleagues,

We are hiring for the position of a research fellow in computational fluid-structure interaction.

As the research fellow, you will work on the MAPFSI project funded by the EPSRC, developing cutting-edge computational algorithms for challenging FSI problems.