Understanding the degradation of materials in extreme environments is a scientific problem with major technological applications, ranging from spaceflight to industrial and nuclear safety. Yet it presents an intrinsic challenge: Researchers cannot easily reproduce these environments in the laboratory or observe essential degradation processes in real-time. Computational modeling and simulation have consequently become indispensable tools in helping to predict the behavior of complex materials across a range of strenuous conditions At MIT, a new research effort aims to advance the state-of-the-art in predictive simulation as well as shape new interdisciplinary…
