Nanomechanics of Carbon Tubes: Instabilities beyond Linear Response

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Abstract
Carbon nanotubes subject to large deformations reversibly switch into different morphological patterns. Each shape change corresponds to an abrupt release of energy and a singularity in the stress-strain curve. These transformations, simulated using a realistic many-body potential, are explained by a continuum shell model. With properly chosen parameters, the model provides a remarkably accurate “roadmap” of nanotube behavior beyond Hooke's law.