Atomistic Fracture Of Silica Glass - Predictably Unpredictable

From an engineering standpoint, the most important work in brittle fracture was published 80 years ago. The concept of strain-energy release rate, introduced in Griffith's 1920 paper, gave us an understanding of how flaws can limit the strength of components that fail by brittle fracture. From a scientific standpoint, the most exciting work in brittle fracture is being performed today, enabled by computational advancements with which aspects of brittle fracture can be probed through simulation experiments. This article surveys simulation experiments in brittle fracture starting with knowledge gained from small simulation systems and carrying through to current knowledge about fracture on very large systems.