Compressibility of two-dimensional pores having n -fold axes of symmetry

Abstract

The complex variable method and conformal mapping are used to derive a closed-form expression for the compressibility of an isolated pore in an infinite two-dimensional, isotropic elastic body. The pore is assumed to have an n -fold axis of symmetry, and be represented by at most four terms in the mapping function that conformally maps the exterior of the pore into the interior of the unit circle. The results are validated against some special cases available in the literature, and against boundary-element calculations. By extrapolation of the results for pores obtained from three and four terms of the Schwarz–Christoffel mapping function for regular polygons, the compressibilities of a triangle, square, pentagon and hexagon are found (to at least three digits). Specific results for some other pore shapes, more general than the quasi-polygons obtained from the Schwarz–Christoffel mapping, are also presented. An approximate scaling law for the compressibility, in terms of the ratio of perimeter-squared to area, is also tested. This expression gives a reasonable approximation to the pore compressibility, but may overestimate it by as much as 20%.