 Solution

During increasing pressure, the elastic solution reaches the Tresca yield criterion with $t-q>0$. In the plastic shell of a material with perfect plasticity, this sign is retained andRadial force balance becomes $q^{\prime }-4{\tau }_Y/r=0$. Integrating from the cavity wall, where $q(a)=-P$, givesOutside the plastic shell, radial elastic compatibility and vanishing far-field stress again give $q=-C/r^3$ and $t=C/(2r^3)$. At the advancing plastic front $r=s$, the Tresca yield criterion gives $3C/(4s^3)={\tau }_Y$, so $C=P_c{s}^3$. Continuity of radial traction now givesThusThe complete stress field of this spherical elastoplastic cavity isAt $s$, the tangential stress also matches because $-P_c+2{\tau }_Y=P_c/2$. Outside $s$, the function in the Tresca yield criterion is ${\tau }_Y(s/r{)}^3<{\tau }_Y$, which verifies that the remaining material is elastic. As $P\downarrow P_c$, $s\downarrow a$ and the solution joins the entirely elastic regime. The radius $a$ is the fixed reference radius of the small-strain model used by the paper.