Young Researchers Workshop:
Multiscale phenomena: modeling, analysis and computation

Energy scaling laws for an axially compressed thin elastic cylinder

Ian Tobasco

New York University

A longstanding open problem in elasticity is to identify the minimum energy scaling law of a crumpled sheet of paper whose thickness tends to zero. Though much is known about scaling laws for thin sheets in tensile settings, the compressive regime is mostly unexplored. I will discuss the case of an axially confined thin elastic cylinder which is prevented from inward displacement by a hard mandrel core. My focus inthis talk will be the dependence of the minimum energy on the thickness of the cylinder in the Foppl-von Karman model. I will prove upper and lower bounds for this scaling.