Time dependent temperature fields and stress interactions with subsurface or surface breaking defects

A fundamental solution is developed which has a jump in temperature 2T ₀ H(t–t ₀) on a semi-infinite cut (a transient thermal dislocation) together with continuous traction and displacement fields. This solution is used together with fundamental elastic dislocation solutions to study the interaction of time dependent temperature fields with subsurface or surface breaking cracks. Potential applications of this analysis to the problem of the influence of surface temperatures on delamination theories of wear and the photodisplacement and photothermal imaging methods are discussed.