Thermodynamics, Microstructures and Plasticity

This book is a comprehensive assessment of the various theoretical and numerical methods currently in use to investigate microstructural transformations and mechanical properties of inhomogeneous systems, from the atomic scale to the macroscopic: kinetic mean-field theories, Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations, Ginzburg-Landau and phase field methods as applied to plasticity and microstructure transformation, discrete and stochastic dislocation dynamics, and cluster dynamics. Extensive surveys of major physical processes include: solidification, microstructural evolution in single and polycrystalline systems under internal and applied stress, high temperature plasticity, recrystallization, large plastic strain in multiphase systems, fatigue, fracture, diffusive transformations, and fine grained materials.

to modelling techniques in diffusive phase transformations. - Mean field theories and Ginzburg-Landau methods. - Mesoscale phase field modeling of engineering materials : microstructure and microelasticity. - Phase-field models of microstructural pattern formation. - The dynamics of interfaces in elastically stressed solids. - Cluster dynamics. - Sensitivity of texture development during grain growth to anisotropy of grain boundary properties. - Computer modelling of diffusion controlled transformations. - Solute drag : a review of the « Force » and « Dissipation » approaches to the effect of solute on grain and interphase boundary motion. - On the jerky nature of martensitic transformation. - The development of ultra high strength materials by microstructural refinement. - Microstructural aspects of cyclic defomation and fatigue of metals. - High temperature plasticity of metallic materials. - Transformation-induced plasticity in steels. - Grain size effect of plasticity modelled by molecular dynamics. - Mixed Atomistic/continuum methods : static and dynamic quasicontinuum methods. - Boundary problems in DD simulations. - Discrete dislocation plasticity. - Surface instabilities and misfit dislocations in annealed heteroepitaxial films. - On the role of the strain-rate sensitivity in collective dislocation effects. - Statistical properties of dislocation ensembles. - Collective behavior of defect ensembles and some nonlinear aspects of failure. - Field theory of crystal defect structure. - Monte-Carlo methods. - Kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations in crystalline alloys : principles and selected applications. - Role of atomic-scale simulation in the modeling of solidification microstructure. - Applications of Monte-Carlo simulations to the kinetics of phase transformations. - Experimentalinvestigations of microstructures. - Atomic scale tomography of microstructures and plastic properties. - Analysis of displacement and strain at the atomic level by high- resolution electron microscopy. - Dislocation organization under stress : TiAl. - List of Speakers. - Partners/Sponsors.