Figure 3.

Brittle and ductile responses to force. (A) Free energy profiles, $G\left(x\right)=G_0\left(x\right)-Fx$, in the absence (F = 0; solid) and presence of a constant force (F > 0; dashed) for brittle (μ → 1) and ductile (μ → 0) systems with symmetric wells and barriers (θ = 0). (B) Normalized distance from the equilibrium position to the transition state, $x^{‡}\left(F\right)/x^{‡}$, as a function of the reduced force, $F{x}^{‡}/\Delta G^{‡}$, for μ = 0, 1/2, 2/3, and 1, for the class of potentials shown in Fig. 2. (Open circles) Disappearance of the barrier at the critical force. To see this figure in color, go online.