Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2011
Fracto-Emission is the emission of particles and photons during and after fracture of materials. The observed emission includes electrons, negative and positive ions, neutral species in both ground states and in excited states, and visible photons. This emission can often serve as a sensitive probe of crack growth and may prove to be a useful tool for investigating molecular and microscopic events accompanying crack growth and for studying the details of failure modes in a variety of materials. Interfacial failure provides unique fracto-emission signals due to the extensive charge separation accompanying separation of dissimilar materials. Here we present the results of several recent studies of interfacial failure involving a variety of materials and relate them to electronic and mechanical processes accompanying failure.