Gyrophilia: Harnessing Centrifugal and Euler Forces for Tunable Buckling of a Rotating Elastica

Abstract

We investigate the geometrically nonlinear deformation and buckling of a slender elastic beam subject to time-dependent `fictitious' (non-inertial) forces arising from unsteady rotation. Using a rotary apparatus that accurately imposes an angular acceleration around a fixed axis, we demonstrate that centrifugal and Euler forces can be combined to produce tunable structural deformation. Specifically, using an imposed acceleration ramp, the buckling onset of a cantilevered beam can be precisely tuned and its deformation direction selected. In a second configuration, a pre-arched beam can be made to snap, on demand, between its two stable states. We also formulate a theoretical model rooted in Euler's elastica that rationalizes the problem and provides predictions in excellent quantitative agreement with the experimental data. Our findings demonstrate an innovative approach to programmable actuation of slender rotating structures.