Analysis of stress in the cohesive zone, dissipation and fracture energy during shear rupture experiments

Abstract: We analyse high resolution slip rate data obtained during dynamic shear rupture experiments by Berman et al. (2020). We use an inverse method to extract the details of strength evolution within the cohesive zone. The overall behaviour is slip-weakening at high rupture speeds ($>0.76C_\mathrm{R}$, where $C_\mathrm{R}$ is the Rayleigh wavespeed), but non-monotonic at low rupture speeds ($<0.76C_\mathrm{R}$), with a transient increase after an initial strong weakening. The slower ruptures are associated to more weakening in the cohesive zone. The fraction of breakdown work associated to the initial weakening, immediately behind the rupture tip, matches the fracture energy estimated by independent methods, but the total breakdown work can be much larger than fracture energy. Complex stress evolution in the cohesive zone is compatible with a well-defined fracture energy that explains rupture tip propagation, but the complexity is reflected in local slip rates that will impact radiated waves.