computational mechanics

Several PhD research positions are currently open in the Computational Nanomechanics Group at the University of Pittsburgh for the following research projects:

1.  Thermomechanical behavior of carbon-based nanomaterials

2.  Atomistic-to-continuum themomechanical theory in solids

3.  Mechanics of nanoporous and nanocrystalline metals

A postdoctoral fellowship is available in the Duke Computational Mechanics Laboratory, beginning in September of 2010 (with flexibility on timing).  Funding for the fellowship concerns research in the simulation of dynamic fracture of polycarbonate.  The ideal candidate will have experience in some combination of the following areas (in no particular order of importance):

The research group on ‘Structural Composites’ at IMDEA Materials seeks a Research Associate (Postdoctoral Researcher) for a collaborative European Project in the area of Multiscale Modeling of Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Multifunctional Polymer Composites, The selected candidate will work under the supervision of the project leader to develop detailed multiscale modeling tools (micro and meso levels) to predict electrical conductivity and mechanical properties  of CFRP composites reinforced with nanotubes/nanofibers.

The Computational Mechanics group at The University of Iowa, led by Professor S. Rahman,

is looking for new Ph.D. students, who are capable of and interested in performing

high-quality research on reliability-based design optimization.  The research, supported

by NSF and others, entails developing new theory and efficient algorithms for stochastic

computing and design optimization. A solid background in mechanics and elementary

numerical analysis is a must; some exposure to uncertainty and probabilistic methods is

desirable.

The University Paris-Est Marne la Vallée, France, invites applications for two tenure-track faculty positions in multiscale computational mechanics, as assistant professor level, for September 2010 start date. The candidates will be hosted by the Laboratory of Multiscale Computational Mechanics (Laboratoire Modélisation et Simulation Multi Echelle, MSME UMR 8208 CNRS). Successful candidates are expected to teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and carry out a research program with potential collaborations at the European and International level.

Recently, I find that definitions of secant stiffness and tangent stiffness in many books seem pretty confused.Therefore, here I am giving the definitions I think correct, then give my questions on them.

Consider the equation

H(x)x+f=0

(1) Definition of tangent stiffness. As for the above equation, what is the tangent stiffness for some particular value x₀?

Let's give the definition according basic knowledge of advanced mathematics. Let's consider the curve H(x)x~x. For this curve, y=H(x)x, so the tangent at x₀ is

We are inviting abstracts for the following symposium: Multiscale methods for modeling surface effects on nanosystems and nanostructured materials, European Conference on Computational Mechanics (ECCM IV), May 16-21, 2010, Paris, France.
http://ww/eccm2010.org/index.php