Abstract
We have performed first-principles tensile tests of silica glass to investigate effects of the local structure on the intrinsic mechanical properties. We found that the bond-network flexibility with the rotation of SiO4 tetrahedra plays an important role for the relief of local strain and that strained ring structures such as three-membered rings are hard to be rearranged. The less flexibility near strained ring structures results in the larger elastic constant and higher tensile strength.
