<< While the initiation of fracture in brittle solids is generally associated with the preexistence of material imperfections, the mechanism for initiation of fracture in viscoelastic fluids, e.g., polymer melts and solutions, remains an open question. >>
<< The images reveal the simultaneous propagation of multiple cracks >>
<< The critical stress and strain for the onset of crack propagation are found to be highly reproducible functions of the stretch rate, while the position of initiation is completely random >>
Qian Huang, Nicolas J. Alvarez, et al. Multiple Cracks Propagate Simultaneously in Polymer Liquids in Tension. Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 087801. Publ 15 Aug. 2016
http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.087801
Jay Fineberg. How to Fracture a Fluid. Aug.15, 2016