Author’s closure

Abstract

The authors would like to thank Dr. Melkumyan very much for the comments and discussion on our paper (Ing and Wang, 2004a). Two errors were detected in our numerical calculation:1. The term 1 À k 2 e in the denominator of Eq. (66) was missed in our numerical calculation. The numerical results for t > b bg h in Fig. 6 will become correct if it is divided by 1 À k 2 e . 2. As k approaches the branch cuts of Q -(k), numerical evaluation of the function Q -(k) should be replaced by Q(k)/Q + (k), whereQðkÞ ¼ Q þ ðkÞQ À ðkÞ ¼ ÀaðkÞ½aðkÞ À k 2 e bðkÞ ð1 À k 2 e Þðk 2 À b 2 bg Þ ¼ ð1 þ k 2 e ÞaðkÞ aðkÞ þ k 2 e bðkÞ . Therefore, the values of the dynamic stress intensity factor, the dynamic electric displacement intensity factor and the dynamic energy release rate are not zero for t < bh. We agree the numerical results calculated by Dr. Melkumyan. Although Dr. Melkumyan proposed alternative solution forms of the dynamic stress intensity factor for 0 < t < bh and bh < t < b bg h, the procedure and the analytical results presented in our paper remain valid. 0020-7683/$ -see front matter Ó