ABAQUS - Random Lines Showing Up in Deformed Mesh

[TXRopePusher]

I have created a model of a steel cylinder subject to unconfined, uniaxial compression. The top and bottom surfaces of the cylinder are defined such that they act as if they are rigidly connected to two rigid plates. I am applying a downward (compressive) displacement to the nodes on the top surface equal to 0.1% of the cylinder's length.

E = 29E6​

v = 0.33​

Yield Stress = 50E3​

When I look at a vertical cross-section of the deformed cylinder (attached), lots of random lines show up in the mesh. When I parse through the sections along the X or Z axes, I notice they are only visible RIGHT at the origin. I've checked and the cylinder hasn't yielded. It seems like some sort of numerical instability. I'm still learning ABAQUS and I haven't been able to find any information on this issue. Any thoughts and advice? Is there a way to get rid of these lines? I am needing to use some graphics from my analyses.

 

[bkal]

Cut those be intersections of your cut plane with elements/model faces?

 

[TXRopePusher]

I don't think so. They only show up when the model is deformed, and I don't see how any of the elements could get distorted to that degree... If there's not an explanation for it, I suppose I can just move the cut plane a hair past the origin in either direction. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a result of something incorrect or detrimental to the solution.

 

[bkal]

I suppose that when your model is not deformed, your cut plane is parallel to element / model faces so these lines do not show. When your model is deformed, then the elements/ model faces are not necessarily planar nor parallel to your cut plane so they might intersect it. I am not an ABAQUS expert, so hopefully somebody else could help.