Our understanding of the connection between microscopic physical phenomena and the macroscopic mechanical behavior of engineering materials has grown significantly over the past several decades. As this link continues to strengthen, we are bound to reach a point where the paradigm of structural engineering will shift to the analysis and optimization of design at all length scales, from the atomic to the macroscopic. This shift in the design paradigm is more than a mere desire. It is required to solve some of society's most challenging problems. My research is aimed at understanding the connection between microscopic physical phenomena and the macroscopic deformation and failure of engineering materials by coupling cutting-edge computing technologies with state-of-the-art simulation techniques.
Recent computational approaches have involved: density functional theory electronic structure simulations, atomistic simulations with empirical potentials, discrete dislocation dynamics simulations, finite element continuum simulations of polycrystals with crystal plasticity and cohesive zone methodologies, and concurrent multi-scale methods coupling molecular dynamics and discrete dislocation dynamics.
For more details see the group webpage: http://ceeserver.cee.cornell.edu/dhw52/index.html
