Recent developments in dynamic fracture: some perspectives

We briefly review a number of important recent experimental and theoretical developments in the field of dynamic fracture. Topics include experimental validation of the equations of motion for straight tensile cracks (in both infinite media and strip geometries), validation of a new theoretical description of the near-tip fields of dynamic cracks incorporating weak elastic nonlinearities, a new understanding of dynamic instabilities of tensile cracks in both 2D and 3D, crack front dynamics, and the relation between frictional motion and dynamic shear cracks. Related future research directions are briefly discussed.