Eur. Phys. J. E 3, 253-258
The elastic behavior of entropic "fisherman's net''
O. Farago - Y. Kantor
School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel
Aviv 69 978, Israel
farago@orion.tau.ac.il
Received 9 February 2000 and Received in final form 14 May 2000
Abstract
A new formalism is used for a Monte Carlo determination of the elastic
constants of a two-dimensional net of fixed connectivity. The net is
composed of point-like atoms each of which is tethered to six
neighbors by a bond limiting the distance between them to a certain
maximal separation, but having zero energy at all smaller lengths. We
measure the elastic constants for many values of the ratio 
between the maximal and actual extensions of the net. When the net is
very stretched (
), a simple transformation maps the
system into a triangular hard disks solid, and we show that the
elastic properties of both systems coincide. We also show that the
crossover to a Gaussian elastic behavior, expected for the
non-stressed net, occurs when the net is looser (
).
PACS
62.20.Dc Elasticity, elastic constants -
05.10.-a Computational methods in statistical physics and nonlinear dynamics -
65.50.+m Thermodynamic properties and entropies
Copyright EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag
