Nucleation of mesoscopic localized deformation bands at the surface layer-substrate interface and their propagation in the bulk of a loaded solid

The nucleation and propagation of mesoscopic inelastic deformation bands in the two-level non-equilibrium surface layer-substrate system under uniaxial tension conditions has been studied using the method of stochastic excitable cellular automata. It is demonstrated that mesoscopic inelastic deformation bands are nucleated in the regions of tensile normal stresses at the interface and then propagate in depth of the substrate along the conjugated directions of maximum tangent stresses (τ_max). The intersection of mesoscopic inelastic deformation bands propagating in the two adjacent conjugated τ_max directions terminates their development.