Propagation of a mode-III interfacial crack in a piezoelectric–piezomagnetic bi-material

The transient response of a semi-infinite mode-III interfacial crack propagating between piezoelectric (PE) and piezomagnetic (PM) half spaces is investigated in this paper. The integral transform method together with the Wiener–Hopf and Cagniard–de Hoop techniques is used to solve the mixed boundary value problem under consideration. The existence of generalized Maerfeld–Tournois interfacial wave is discussed and the solutions of the coupled fields are derived for four different cases of bulk shear wave velocity. The dynamic intensity factors of stress, electric displacement and magnetic induction as well as energy release rate (ERR) are obtained in explicit forms. The numerical results of the universal functions and dimensionless ERR for several different material combinations are presented and discussed in details. It is found that the Bleustein–Gulyaev (generalized Maerfeld–Tournois) waves dominate the dynamic characteristics of the interfacial crack propagation in PE–PM bi-material.