L. B. Freund
H. L. Goddard University Professor and Professor of Engineering:
Division of Engineering
Phone: +1 401 863 1476
freund@brown.edu
Freund's derivation of the equations describing the propagation of cracks in an elastic body has led to the understanding of dynamic fracture that is now widely used in such critically important applications as the safety of gas pile lines and the safety of nuclear containment vessels. Professor Freund's research is concerned with mechanical phenomena in solid materials, focusing on the relationship between the overall mechanical state of a deformable solid and the localized physical processes of material deformation and failure.
Biography
Freund received his Ph.D. degree from Northwestern University in 1967. He is the author or co-author of over 190 published articles on stress waves in solids, fracture mechanics, seismology, computational mechanics, dislocation theory, thin films, microstructure evolution in films, and engineering education, plus monographs on Dynamic Fracture Mechanics and on Thin Film Materials. His current research interests include: mechanics of biological materials (cell adhesion, molecular transport in cell walls) and mechanics of thin film materials (evolution of microstructure, influence of strain on quantum mechanical transport, lattice mismatched heterostructures). Freund presently serves as Associate Editor of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and as President of the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Interests
Freund's derivation of the equations describing the propagation of cracks in an elastic body has led to the understanding of dynamic fracture that is now widely used in such critically important applications as the safety of gas pile lines and the safety of nuclear containment vessels. Professor Freund's research is concerned with mechanical phenomena in solid materials, focusing on the relationship between the overall mechanical state of a deformable solid and the localized physical processes of material deformation and failure. Work on fracture in cases when material inertia effects are significant has led to descriptions of the processes of dynamic crack growth in elastic and elastic-plastic engineering materials, dynamic faulting in the earth's crust, fragmentation of ceramics and other brittle materials under impact loading, and dynamic failure in ductile materials. As a current focus, Professor Freund and his students have been concerned with mechanical phenomena involved in fabrication, reliability, and performance of solid-state electronic devices. Among the issues under study are: stress-driven surface diffusion and evolution of microstructure during vapor deposition of semiconductor materials, dislocation formation and growth in strained semiconductors, mechanics of self-assembly of quantum structures, influence of strain on quantum mechanical charge transport in heterostructures, and compliant substrate strategies for fabrication of mechanically stable strained semiconductor structures. Professor Freund was awarded the 2000 William Prager Medal by the Society of Engineering Science. He is the author or co-author of over 175 articles on stress waves in solids, fracture mechanics, seismology, computational mechanics, dislocation theory, mechanics of thin films, and applied physics, and the author of a Cambridge University Press monograph on Dynamic Fracture Mechanics. Currently, Professor Freund serves as Editor of the Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids and as Treasurer of the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Awards
Engineering Traineeship, National Science Foundation, 1964-67
Henry Hess Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1974
Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1980
Fellow, American Academy of Mechanics, 1983
General Lecture, Tenth U. S. National Congress of Applied Mechanics, Austin, 1986
George R. Irwin Medal, American Society for Testing and Materials, 1987
Michael A. Sadowsky Mechanics Lecture, Rensselaer Polytechnic Insititute, 1988
Henry Ledyard Goddard University Professor, Brown University, 1988
Technical Analysis Corporation President's Award, Tau Beta Pi Teaching Award, Brown University, 1990
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Elected Fellow 1993
Dedicated NSF/ONR Symposium on Dynamic Failure Mechanics in Modern Materials, California Institute of Technology, 1994
Alexander Graham Christie Lecture, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 1994
National Academy of Engineering, Elected 1994
Russell Severance Springer Professor, University of California, Berkeley, 1995-96
Alumni Honor Award, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1996
National Academy of Sciences, Elected 1997
Distinguished Visiting Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1999-2001
William Prager Medal, Society of Engineering Science, 2000
Research Highlights Lecture Series, National Science Foundation, Directorate for Engineering, February 2001
Fellow, Society of Engineering Science, Elected 2002
Timoshenko Medal, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2003
Yunchuan Aisinjioro-Soo Distinguished Lecture, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University Of Illinois, 2003
Jerzy Nowinski Lecture, Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, 2004
William Gurley Lecture in Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2005
The Aris and Bessie B. Phillips Lecture in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Yale University, 2005
Distinguished Alumni Award, Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006
Affiliations
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow
Society of Engineering Science, Life Member
International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, US delegate (1986-96), Treasurer (1996-04), President (2004-08)
US National Committee for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Member
National Academy Of Sciences, elected 1996
National Academy of Engineering, elected 1994
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, elected 1993
9/74-6/75: Visiting Associate Professor of Applied Mechanics and Materials Science, Stanford University
9/83-1/84: Visiting Scholar, Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University
7/88-date: Henry Ledyard Goddard University Professor, Brown University
1/95-6/95: Visiting Professor of Applied Mechanics and Materials Science, Stanford University
10/95-12/95 Russell Severance Springer Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
1/99-6/99 Visiting Associate in Aeronautics, California Institute of Technology
1/99-12/01 Distinguished Visiting Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena
8/03-12/03 Visiting Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Beckman Institute Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Funded Research
Contracts and grants by year
1969-70:
Analysis of guided surface waves, Advanced Research Projects Agency, one year, $9,000
1970-71:
An analysis of guided surface waves in crystals, Research Corporation, one year, $1,100
Surface waves guided by a slit in an elastic solid, Advanced Research Projects Agency, 1 year, $10,000
Inelastic response of metals to dynamic biaxial stresses, National Science Foundation, two years (co-investigator), $33,800
1971-72:
Analysis of guided elastic surface waves, Advanced Research Projects Agency, one year, $12,000
Plastic deformation of metals at high strain rates, Air Force Materials Laboratory, two years (co-investigator), $76,978
A combined macroscopic and microscopic approach to the fracture of metals, Atomic Energy Commission, one year (co-investigator), $81,900
1972-73:
Analysis of dynamic fracture, Advanced Research Projects Agency, one year, $13,000
The influence of biaxial loading and temperature on the dynamic behavior of metals, National Science Foundation, two years (co-investigator), $44,600
1973-74:
Analysis of brittle fracture under stress wave loading conditions, National Science Foundation, two years, $39,000
Analysis of dynamic fracture, Advanced Research Projects Agency, one year, $11,400
1975-76:
The analysis of running ductile fracture in pressurized pipelines, National Science Foundation, two years, $69,500
Fracture of strain rate sensitive materials, Advanced Research Projects Agency, one year, $14,000
The mechanical behavior of fcc metals based on experiments involving large increments in strain rate, National Science Foundation, three years (co-investigator), $138,000
Mechanical processes of crustal faulting, United States Geological Survey, one year (co-investigator), $25,000
1976-77:
Dynamic crack propagation, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, one year, $15,000
1977-78:
Dynamic crack propagation analysis, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, one year, $20,000
Plasticity effects in dynamic crack propagation, National Science Foundation, two years, $65,000
1978-79:
Dynamic fracture initiation and crack propagation in structural metals, Office of Naval Research, one year (co-principal investigator), $39,900
Dynamic crack propagation, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, one year, $20,000
1979-80:
Dynamic fracture initiation and crack propagation in structural metals, Office of Naval Research, two years (co-principal investigator), $55,000
1980-81:
Plasticity effects in dynamic crack propagation,Office of Naval Research, two years, $83,000
Critical conditions for failure in materials subjected to high rates of loading, Army Research Office, one year, $27,000
Dynamic crack propagation, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, one year, $29,500
1981-82:
Critical conditions for failure in materials subjected to high rates of loading, Army Research Office, one year, $36,000
Dynamic fracture initiation and crack propagation in structural metals, Office of Naval Research, one year (extension of scope), $34,000
Dynamic fracture of solids, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, one year, $45,300
1982-83:
Plasticity effects in dynamic crack propagation, National Science Foundation, two years, $138,300
Dynamic fracture initiation and crack propagation in structural metals, Office of Naval Research, two years (co-principal investigator), $177,900
Dynamic fracture of solids, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, one year, $43,700
1983-84:
Critical conditions for failure in materials subjected to high rates of loading, Army Research Office, one year, $30,000
Dynamic phenomena in plasticity and fracture, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, 1 year, $42,700
Plasticity effects in dynamic crack propagation, National Science Foundation, equipment supplement to regular grant, $19,995
1984-85:
Mechanics of dynamic fracture, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, one year, $39,900
Critical conditions for failure in materials subjected to high rates of loading, Army Research Office, three years (co-investigator) $1,100,000
1985-86:
Dynamic fracture initiation and crack propagation in structural metals, Office of Naval Research, two and one-half years (co-principal investigator), $381,000
Mechanics of dynamic fracture, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, 10 months, $33,360
The influence of three dimensional effects during dynamic fracture of materials, National Science Foundation, one year, $65,686
The conductor/nonconductor interface, IBM Corp., five years (co-investigator), $2,000,000
1986-87:
The influence of three dimensional effects during dynamic fracture of materials, National Science Foundation, one year, $69,340
Mechanics of dynamic fracture, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Laboratory, one year, $44,433
1987-88:
Part 1. Mechanics of thin film structures; Part 2. Dynamic fracture of rate sensitive plastic solids, Office of Naval Research, two and one-half years, $589,148
Microstructural mechanisms of dynamic ductile fracture and implications for structural failure, Army Research Office, one year (co-investigator), $350,000
The influence of three dimensional effects during dynamic fracture of materials, National Science Foundation, one year, $76,000
Plasticity and fracture of materials, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $43,797
1988-89:
Plasticity and fracture of materials, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $55,383
Computation in mechanics of materials, Office of Naval Research, one year, (coinvestigator), $370,000
1989-90:
Plasticity and fracture of materials, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $43,797
Microstructural mechanisms of dynamic ductile fracture and implications for structural failure, Army Research Office, one year (co-investigator), $350,000
1990-91:
Mechanics of strained layer materials for microelectronic applications, Office of Naval Research, one year, $229,600
Mechanics of materials, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $13,800
Investigation of dynamic material response for model development, Army Research Office, one year (co-investigator), $299,000
1991-92:
Mechanics of strained layer materials for microelectronic applications, Office of Naval Research, one year, $231,000
Mechanics of materials, National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $15,000
Investigation of dynamic material response for model development, Army Research Office, one year (co-investigator), $137,000
Mixed atomistic-continuum studies of defects in electronic and structural materials, (with M. Ortiz), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, one year, $114,872
MRS Symposium on Thin Films, National Science Foundation, one year, $2,500
Mechanics of Materials in Microelectronics, IBM Corporation, one year, $48,500
1992-93:
Mechanics of strained layer materials for electronic applications, Office of Naval Research, one year, $200,000
Dynamic behavior of brittle materials, (principal investigator, with R. Clifton, K. S. Kim and M. Ortiz) Army Research Office, one year, $395,861
Micro-mechanics of failure-resistant materials, (co-investigator) National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $13,000
Mixed atomistic-continuum studies of defects in electronic and structural materials, (with M. Ortiz), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, one year, $110,820
Ultrafast dynamics of electronics and phonons in nanostructures, (co-investigator) National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $30,035
1993-94:
Mechanics of strained layer materials for electronic applications, Office of Naval Research, one year, $260,000
Dynamic behavior of brittle materials, (principal investigator, with R. Clifton, K. S. Kim and M. Ortiz), Army Research Office, one year, $376,000
Workshop on Dynamic Behavior of Brittle Materials, Army Research Office, one year, $4,950.
Micro-mechanics of failure-resistant materials, (co-investigator) National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $30,000
Ultrafast dynamics of electrons and phonons in nanostructures, (co-investigator) National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $28,271
Mixed atomistic-continuum studies of defects in electronic and structural materials, (with M. Ortiz), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, one year, $113,000
1994-95:
Dynamic behavior of brittle materials, (principal investigator, with R. Clifton, K. S. Kim and M. Ortiz), Army Research Office, one year, $376,000
Micro- and Nano-mechanics of failure resistant materials, (co-investigator) National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $26,938 (LBF allocation)
Ultrafast dynamics of electrons and phonons in nanostructures, (co-investigator) National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $28,000 (LBF allocation)
Mixed atomistic/continuum studies of defects in electronic and structural materials, (co-principal investigator with R. Phillips and M. Ortiz), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, two years, $245,972
Mechanics of materials for power-electronics control devices, Office of Naval Research, one year, $220,000
1995-96:
Dynamic behavior of brittle materials, (principal investigator, with R. Clifton, K. S. Kim and M. Ortiz), Army Research Office, one year, $376,000
Simulation and analysis of dynamic failure of ductile materials, Department of Energy, one year, $98,919
Mixed atomistic/continuum studies of defects in electronic and structural materials, (co-principal investigator with R. Phillips and M. Ortiz), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, see 1994-95
Mechanics of materials for power-electronics control devices, Office of Naval Research, one year, $225,000
Micro- and Nano-mechanics of failure resistant materials, (co-investigator) National Science Foundation/Materials Research Group, one year, $36,227 (LBF allocation only)
1996-97:
Dynamic behavior of brittle materials, (principal investigator, with R. Clifton and K. S. Kim), Army Research Office, one year, $376,000
Simulation and analysis of dynamic failure of ductile materials, Department of Energy, one year, $99,419
Mixed atomistic/continuum studies of defects in electronic and structural materials, (co-principal investigator with R. Phillips and M. Ortiz, Caltech), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, one year, $134,086
Mechanics of materials for power-electronics control devices, Office of Naval Research, one year, $200,000
Micro- and nano-mechanics of materials, (co-investigator with R. Clifton as principal investigator), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,200,000
1997-98:
Dynamic behavior of brittle materials, (principal investigator, with R. Clifton and K. S. Kim), Army Research Office, one year, $376,000 (no cost ext.)
Simulation and analysis of dynamic failure of ductile materials, Department of Energy, one year, $99,860
Mixed atomistic/continuum studies of defects in electronic and structural materials, (co-principal investigator with R. Phillips and M. Ortiz, Caltech), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, one year, $131,932
Mechanics of materials in fabrication and performance of power-electronics devices, Office of Naval Research, one year, $118,576
Micro- and nano-mechanics of materials, (co-investigator with R. Clifton as principal investigator and 8 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,200,000
1998-99:
Simulation and analysis of dynamic failure of ductile materials, Department of Energy, one year, $99,860
Mechanics of materials in fabrication and performance of power-electronics devices, Office of Naval Research, one year, $118,576
Micro- and nano-mechanics of materials, (co-investigator with R. Clifton as principal investigator and 8 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,200,000
1999-00
Micro- and nano-mechanics of materials, (co-investigator with C. Briant as principal investigator and 9 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,200,000
Mechanics of materials in fabrication and performance of power-electronics devices, Office of Naval Research, one year, ~$100,000
Crack growth in nonhomogeneous solids and structures, Department of Energy, two years, $227,000
2000-01:
Micro- and Nano-Mechanics of Electronic and Structural Materials, (co-investigator with C. Briant as principal investigator and 15 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,500,000
Dynamic failure of ductile structural materials, Office of Naval Research, continuing award, ~$145,000 per year
Crack growth in nonhomogeneous solids and structures, Department of Energy, continuing award, ~$112,700 per year
Acquisition of a high performance parallel workstation cluster for research" (with 4 collaborators), National Science Foundation, three years, $171,575
2001-02:
Micro- and Nano-Mechanics of Electronic and Structural Materials, (co-investigator with C. Briant as principal investigator and 15 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,500,000
Crack growth in nonhomogeneous solids and structures, Department of Energy, continuing award, ~$112,700 per year
Failure of ductile materials and components at high rates of loading, Office of Naval Research, continuing award, $125,000 per year
2002-03:
Micro- and Nano-Mechanics of Electronic and Structural Materials, (co-investigator with C. Briant as principal investigator and 15 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,500,000
Failure of ductile materials and components at high rates of loading, Office of Naval Research, continuing award, $96,000 per year
Study of self-organization in strained heteroepitaxial nanostructures: multiscale modeling, simulation and experiment, (co-investigator with V. Shenoy as principal investigator), National Science Foundation/NIRT, four years, $1.1m
2003-04:
Micro- and Nano-Mechanics of Electronic and Structural Materials, (co-investigator with C. Briant as principal investigator and 15 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,500,000
Failure of ductile materials and components at high rates of loading, Office of Naval Research, continuing award, $136,000 per year
Study of self-organization in strained heteroepitaxial nanostructures: multiscale modeling, simulation and experiment, (co-investigator with V. Shenoy as principal investigator), National Science Foundation/NIRT, four years, $1.1m
2003-04:
Micro- and Nano-Mechanics of Electronic and Structural Materials, (co-investigator with C. Briant as principal investigator and 15 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,500,000
Failure of ductile materials and components at high rates of loading, Office of Naval Research, continuing award, $136,000 per year
Study of self-organization in strained heteroepitaxial nanostructures: multiscale modeling, simulation and experiment, (co-investigator with V. Shenoy as principal investigator), National Science Foundation/NIRT, four years, $1.1m
2004-05:
Micro- and Nano-Mechanics of Electronic and Structural Materials, (co-investigator with C. Briant as principal investigator and 15 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,500,000
Failure of ductile materials and components at high rates of loading, Office of Naval Research, continuing award, $136,000 per year
Study of self-organization in strained heteroepitaxial nanostructures: multiscale modeling, simulation and experiment, (co-investigator with V. Shenoy as principal investigator), National Science Foundation/NIRT, four years, $1.1m
Biologically inspired nano-contact mechanics, (co-investigator with P. Guduru as principal investigator), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, three years, $450,000
2005-06:
Micro- and Nano-Mechanics of Materials, (co-investigator with W. Curtin as principal investigator and 16 other co-investigators), National Science Foundation/MRSEC, one year, $1,600,000
Study of self-organization in strained heteroepitaxial nanostructures: multiscale modeling, simulation and experiment, (co-investigator with V. Shenoy as principal investigator), National Science Foundation/NIRT, four years, $1.1m
Biologically inspired nano-contact mechanics, (co-investigator with P. Guduru as principal investigator), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, three years, $450,000
Realization and Integration of Large Lattice Mismatched Materials for Device Innovation: A Comprehensive Approach to the Underlying Science and Practical Application, Army Research Office, a MURI project administered through the University of Wisconsin (T. F. Kuech principal investigator) involving UW, Duke, UCSD and Brown, five years, subcontract to Brown ~$110,000 per annum