title: Localized buckling of a floating elastica.
abstract: We study the buckling of a two-dimensional elastica floating on a bath of dense fluid, subjected to axial compression. The sinusoidal pattern predicted by the analysis of linear stability is shown to become localized above the buckling threshold. A nonlinear amplitude equation is derived for the envelope of the pattern. These results provide a simple interpretation to the wrinkle-to-fold transition reported by Pocivavsek et al. [Science 320, 912 (2008)]. An analogy with the classical problem of the localized buckling of a strut on a nonlinear elastic foundation is presented.
authors.affiliation: CNRS, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7190, Institut Jean Le Rond d'Alembert, F-75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Audoly
mesh_terms: D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D004548:Elasticity; D008422:Materials Testing; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009991:Oscillometry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers