This article will appear in Soft Matter (https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SM01352H)

Torque-dense photomechanical actuation

Mahnoush Babaei, Junfeng Gao, Arul Clement, Kaushik Dayal and M. Ravi Shankar

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

dear Colleagues

5.1 Elastic stress transfer, in Chapter 5. Composite mechanics: Short fibers, in Load Bearing Fiber Composites, by Michael R. Piggott, 2002

This time reading notes on a section of a well-known mechanics book are presented, due to its extreme clarity and reader-friendliness in explaining the stress transfer in fiber-reinforced composites. Personal understanding for the micromechanical model and derivations are included accordingly without specific indications.

Materials become insensitive to flaws at nanoscale: Lessons from nature, Gao, Ji, Jger, Arzt, Fratzl, PNAS, 2003

Novelty/impact/significance:

It is firstly/ingeniously demonstrated that the biological nanocomposites’ generic structure is mechanically advantageous: the nanometer size of mineral reinforcements is selected to ensure optimum strength and maximum tolerance of flaws. The derivations are simple and effective.

Scientific question:

EML Webinar on 16 December 2020 will be given by Dave Weitz, Harvard University. Discussion Leader Jia Liu, Harvard University.

Title: Snap, Speckle and Spot: Sight and Sound of Hydraulic Fracture

Time: 6:30 am California, 9:30 am Boston, 2:30 pm London, 10:30 pm Beijing on 16 December 2020

Five PhD scholarships (36 months) are available within the project LIGHTEN at UCL, TU Delft and University of Trento. The project is funded through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Innovative Training Networks – European Industrial Doctorate.

Each scholarship is unique, has different recruiting institutions and advisors.

Deadlines in January 2021. The start date is 1st of May 2021.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London (UCL) wishes to strengthen, and broaden, its current research activities through the recruitment of an exceptional lecturer in Flight Mechanics, with a proven research track record in spacecraft mechanical design or space flight dynamics and control.

Application Deadline: January 6, 2021.