Welcome to Raquel Dantas Batista
© 2022 EPFL
After obtaining her Master's degree in Civil Engineering (Structures and Geotechnics) at University of Campinas (UNICAMP), in Brazil, she started her PhD at LSMS in January 2022. She is enrolled in the EDCE Doctoral Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
A few questions to Raquel :
What is your field of research ?
My current research at LSMS is on the dynamic fragmentation of brittle materials, which consists of a rapid fragmentation of solids due to extreme loading. My research aims to use a numerical simulation approach to study the sizes and velocities of the fragments right after the collapse.
Why did you choose this field and what are you particularly enthusiastic about it ?
The computational modeling of the fragmentation process involves many interesting disciplines, e.g. mechanics and thermodynamics of continua, numerical analysis of differential equations, computational science of numerical methods, and fracture and damage mechanics.
I am always enthusiastic about the ability of mathematical formulae to describe the observed behavior of real world mechanics. And also enjoy exploring how computers can be employed to approximate (and extrapolate on) incredibly complex phenomena. From these fields, I expect to find answers to multiple questions I have and, hopefully, contribute some answers of my own.
Outside the lab, what do you enjoy doing most ?
I enjoy cooking and reading. I also like to do walks, especially on sunny days, and have been very grateful for the beautiful scenery I get from the lake and mountains in Lausanne.