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Science 26 May 2006:
Vol. 312. no. 5777, pp. 1151 - 1152
DOI: 10.1126/science.1127729
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Perspectives

MATERIALS SCIENCE:
Fluctuations in Plasticity at the Microscale

M.-Carmen Miguel1 and Stefano Zapperi2

During deformation, microscale materials may flow or change shape abruptly as atomic-scale defects migrate and assemble. The abrupt episodes of deformation appear to have a power-law distribution, a finding that may help in the design of miniature devices.

1M.-C. Miguel is in the Departament de Física Fonamental, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.

2S. Zapperi is with the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università "La Sapienza," 00185 Roma, Italy. E-mail: stefano.zapperi{at}roma1.infn.it

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)