How atoms behave: Characteristics of microstructural avalanches
Friday, November 18, 2011 - 14:30
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- Investigating how atoms move and rearrange themselves is fundamental to our understanding of the behavior of materials, in particular efforts aimed at engineering materials with enhanced functionality. Atomic motions occur even when materials are in equilibrium because local arrangements of atoms fluctuate about their average positions. These motions are yet more important in non-equilibrium situations, such as a transformation in which a material changes from one phase to another, for instance liquid water to crystalline ice.
