Symposium Organizers
Mark Asta University of California
Alex Umantsev Fayetteville State University
Joerg Neugebauer Max-Planck-Institut fuer Eisenforschung
LL1: Mechanical Properties
Session Chairs
Monday PM, November 30, 2009
Room 313 (Hynes)
9:30 AM - **LL1.1
Making and Breaking of Chemical Bonds under Mechanical Load.
Peter Gumbsch 1 2 , Michael Moseler 1 2 , Lars Pastewka 1 2
1 , Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Werkstoffmechanik IWM, Freiburg Germany, 2 IZBS, University of Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Germany
Show AbstractBrittle fracture as well as adhesion, or friction and wear are prominent examples for mechanical problems with clearly observable macroscopic consequences that are directly related to the processes of the formation and destruction of chemical bonds. Modelling such processes requires to propagate the atomistic information through the scales to obtain macroscopic information. If chemical specificity and chemical accuracy are required, only very few approaches are available.I will quickly review latest achievments in concurrent coupling techniques, in particular the "learn on the fly" (LOTF) technique with applications to brittle fracture of diamond and silicon. The main focus of my talk will then be the simulation of friction and wear processes between amorphous diamond-like carbon DLC films. Sequential techniques must be applied there to first obtain reasonable starting configurations for the atomic structure and topology of the films. Then different levels of approximations are required to assess the evolution of the friction contacts. Considerable attention must be paid there to extracting relevant information from large scale atomistic simulations, which in turn first requires an atomistic model for the hydrocarbons that can describe well the making and breaking of the atomic bonds. I will introduce such a new potential, report about comparison to large-scale tight binding simulations and present results for the evolution of an atomistically determined friction coefficient during running-in of such a contact.
10:00 AM - LL1.2
The Heterogeneous Multiscale Method for Dynamics of Solids with Applications to Brittle Cracks.
Jerry Yang 1 , Xiantao Li 2
1 , Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, United States, 2 , Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractWe present a multiscale method for the modeling of dynamics of crystalline solids. The method employs the continuum elastodynamics model to introduce loading conditions and capture elastic waves, and near isolated defects, molecular dynamics (MD) model is used to resolve the local structure at the atomic scale. The coupling of the two models is achieved based on the framework of the heterogeneous multiscale method (HMM) and a consistent coupling condition with special treatment of the MD boundary condition. Application to the dynamics of a brittle crack under various loading conditions is presented. Elastic waves are observed to pass through the interface from atomistic region to the continuum region and reversely. Thresholds of strength and duration of shock waves to launch the crack opening are quantitatively studied and related to the inertia effect of crack tips.
10:15 AM - LL1.3
Multiscale Simulations of Low Speed Fracture Instabilities in Brittle Materials.
Noam Bernstein 1 , James Kermode 2 , Gabor Csanyi 3
1 Center for Computational Materials Science, Naval Research Lab, Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 2 Department of Physics, King's College London, London United Kingdom, 3 Engineering Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge United Kingdom
Show AbstractWhile it is well known that cracks in brittle materials are unstableat high speeds, we have recently shown that covalently bonded,nominally brittle materials such as silicon show instabilities at lowspeeds as well [1]. These instabilities arise from changes in theatomic structure of the crack tip that lead to macroscopic featureson the crack surface. We study this process at the atomic scale usingstate-of-the-art computer simulations dynamically coupling afirst-principles quantum-mechanical (QM) description of bonding at thecrack tip to a much larger system described with an interatomicpotential (IP). We present results on the structure and energetics ofcrack-tip reconstructions and instabilities in a range of materials,including silicon carbide, diamond, graphene, and silica. The last ofthese is particularly challenging, because of the partially ionicnature of bonding and resulting electrostatic coupling between the QMand IP region. We conclude that even very brittle single-crystalmaterials can have a complex crack tip atomic structure, and thatatomic scale rearrangements can lead to macroscopic changes in crackmorphology.[1] J. R. Kermode et al., Nature 455, 1224 (2008).
10:30 AM - LL1.4
Understanding Embrittlement in Metals: A Multiscale Study of the Hydrogen-enhanced Local Plasticity (HELP) Mechanism.
Johann von Pezold 1 , Liverios Lymperakis 1 , Joerg Neugebauer 1
1 Computational Materials Design, Max-Planck-Institut fuer Eisenforschung GmbH, Duesseldorf Germany
Show AbstractThe embrittlement of metals by H is a long-standing problem, whose underlying mechanisms are still largely unclear. In this study we consider the atomistic basis of the HELP mechanism. According to this mechanism interstitial H shields dislocation-dislocation interactions, resulting in increased dislocation densities and eventually the nucleation of cracks in regions of high H concentrations.Using a combination of density-functional theory calculations, semi-empirical EAM potentials and an effective lattice gas Hamiltonian we determine the effect of H on the stress field around edge dislocations in fcc metals. In particular, the effect of H-H interactions on the H distribution around edge dislocations in fcc metals was determined using Monte-Carlo simulations in the grand canonical ensemble. Depending on the strength of the H-H interactions, already at rather modest bulk H concentrations a hydride phase is formed in the vicinity of the dislocation core. Our results further show that the formation of the new phase induces a highly anisotropic stress response: A significant reduction in the shear stress along the glide plane of the dislocation is observed, while normal to the glide plane the shear stress is predominantly increased. An important consequence of the new phase is a weakened stress field along the glide plane that induces slip planarity and reduced dislocation-dislocation separations in dislocation pile-ups, giving rise to a substantial stress accumulation and finally the onset of localised plastic fracture.
10:45 AM - LL1.5
Crack Growth by Surface Diffusion in Viscoelastic Media.
Robert Spatschek 1 , Efim Brener 2 , Denis Pilipenko 2
1 ICAMS, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum Germany, 2 IFF, Research Center Juelich, Juelich Germany
Show AbstractDissipation plays a central role in fracture, since typically only a small fraction on the elastic energy is used to create the surfaces of the advancing crack. Whereas in brittle materials dissipation takes place mainly close to the crack surfaces, in materials with a more viscous behavior an extended zone of bulk dissipation can form around the crack.We discuss steady state crack growth in the spirit of a free boundary problem, where growth of the crack is modeled as a surface diffusion process. It turns out that mode I and mode III situations are very different from each other: In particular, mode III exhibits a pronounced transition towards unstable crack growth at higher driving forces, and the behavior close to the Griffith point is determined entirely through crack surface dissipation, whereas in mode I the fracture energy is renormalized due to a remaining finite viscous dissipation. Intermediate mixed-mode scenarios allow steady state crack growth with higher velocities than for pure mode I.
11:30 AM - LL1.6
Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of Shock-induced Twinning in fcc Bicrystals.
Shijin Zhao 1 2
1 Institute for Materials Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai China, 2 Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Show AbstractWe study shock wave propagation in fcc bicrystals of aluminum by means of a recently introduced molecular dynamics technique, which captures the initial shock transit as well as the subsequent long time scale relaxation process. Both elastic and plastic shock fronts can be clearly identified in the initial shock transit, with an underdriven plastic wave lagging behind the elastic front. Large shear stresses generated behind the elastic shock front are greatly relieved by the partial twinning, fcc-hcp structural transition and crystal rotation behind the plastic shock front. We observe in the subsequent NVE simulation a partial-to-perfect twinning transition in the bicrystals, which results in a sudden drop in the overall pressure and a steep increase in the overall temperature.
11:45 AM - LL1.7
Magnesium < a > and < c+a > Dislocation Cores: Comparison of First-Principles and Embedded-Atom-Potential Methods Predictions.
Thomas Nogaret 1 , Joseph Yasi 2 , Louis Hector 3 , Dallas Trinkle 4 , William Curtin 1
1 Division of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 2 Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States, 3 General Motors R&D Center, General Motors , Warren, Michigan, United States, 4 Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States
Show AbstractThe use of Magnesium alloys increases due to their light weight. However their formability is poor due to their HCP structure: they deform easily along the < a > axis via < a > dislocations gliding in basal planes, but the deformation along the < c > axis is difficult due to the high stresses required for the motion of < c+a > dislocations and twinning dislocations in pyramidal planes. The pyramidal deformation modes are not well understood and constitute a great challenge for material scientists.We performed first principles and EAM potential calculations of gamma surfaces and < a > dislocation core properties in basal and prism planes, and the results were compared. One of the tested EAM potentials was found in good agreement with ab-initio calculations and used to study < c+a > dislocations in pyramidal planes. The (1-101) and (11-22) EAM potential gamma surfaces were compared to ab-initio calculations. New low energy dislocation core structures were observed and the effects of non-glide stresses on Peierls stresses were studied.
12:00 PM - LL1.8
Suzuki Effect and Stacking Fault Energies for Cu Based Binary Alloys Using First-Principles Results of Segregation Energy.
Tokuteru Uesugi 1 , Kenji Higashi 1
1 Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai Japan
Show AbstractThe stacking fault energy in fcc alloys is one of the most important factors in determining mechanical properties. Lowering the stacking fault energy increases the width of the extended dislocation and decreases the mobility of the extended dislocations. The mobility of the extended dislocations, in turn, relate to macroscopic phenomena such as the creep resistance and work hardening. Thus, it is an important goal of materials science to determine the value of the stacking fault energy for various alloys and to relate it to the mechanical properties in the macroscopic scale. In this work, the stacking fault energy for pure Cu and the segregation energy of solute atoms such as Al and Zn in the staking fault were calculated from the first-principles calculations. We presented numerical results for the stacking fault energy for the Cu based binary alloys using the results of the first-principles calculations as input parameters to an expression in the equilibrium state at 623 K. The expression for the stacking fault energy as a function of concentration for fcc binary alloys was based on three approximations and one condition: two atomic layers as the equivalent segregation sites, nointeracting solutes, a temperature-independent segregation energy, and an equilibrium state following Suzuki’s work. These numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental values at low concentration. The discrepancy between the numerical and the experimental results at high concentration most likely arises from the approximation regarding nointeracting solutes.
12:15 PM - LL1.9
First-principles Study of Solute Strengthening in Aluminum Alloys.
Gerard Paul Leyson 1 , Louis Hector 2 , William Curtin 1
1 , Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 2 , General Motors, Warren, Michigan, United States
Show AbstractThe strengthening of Aluminum by substitutional solute atoms (Li, Mg, Si, Cu, Ge and Cr) is predicted using first principles calculations and analytic theory. Solute energies in and around an edge dislocation core are first calculated using density functional theory and a flexible boundary condition method [1]. These solute energies are then used within an analytic model that derives from concepts first presented by Labusch [2] to predict the pinning of a dislocation within a random field of solutes. Finally, the critical shear stress to overcome the pinning forces of the solutes is computed. The analysis demonstrates the role of the core solutes relative to the “far-field” solutes in determining the strengthening. Quantitative comparisons with experiments are made for several cases. [1] Woodward, C., Trinkle, D.R., Hector, L.G., Olmsted, D.L., 2008. Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 045507 [2] Labush, R., 1970. Phys. Status Solidi 41, 659
12:30 PM - LL1.10
Stress Effects on Grain Boundary Wetting Angles.
Nan Wang 1 , Alain Karma 1 , Robert Spatschek 2
1 Phsysics Department and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Complex System, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2 Interdisciplinary Centre for Advanced Materials Simulation (ICAMS), Ruhr-Universitat, Bochum Germany
Show AbstractGrain boundary wetting plays an important role in a wide range of materials science problems. Equilibrium dihedral angles at solid/solid/liquid triple lines are traditionally predicted using a Young's condition together with values for the solid-liquid interfacial energy and grain boundary energy. Based on a scaling analysis of interfacial and elastic energy near triple lines, it has been previously argued that stress should not affect dihedral angles. Yet, paradoxically, a finite amount of stress can cause an apparent breakdown of equilibrium at triple lines and drive the penetration of the liquid along grain boundaries, as manifest in problems ranging from liquation cracking to liquid metal embrittlement. We present the results of a phase-field study of stress effects on grain boundary wetting that sheds light on this conundrum, with the main conclusion that dihedral angles are affected by stress for grain sizes of practical relevance.
12:45 PM - LL1.11
Identification of Descriptors for Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes.
Dane Morgan 2 1 , Yueh-Lin Lee 1
2 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 1 Materials Science Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Show AbstractPerovskites are the major class of materials used for modern solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes and have the ability to catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on their surfaces. However, difficulties in performing in-situ characterization of well-controlled samples means that the rate limiting steps and structure-property relationships underlying ORR on these materials are not understood. In particular, to date it has not been possible to find a simple set of descriptors that can be correlated to the ORR activity. A descriptor based approach has been very valuable in understanding many reactions, including the ORR [1], on metal catalysts (e.g. d-band center descriptor). In this talk we use an ab initio based approach to identify a descriptor for the ORR in perovskite SOFC cathodes. Energetics of key steps in the SOFC ORR are calculated for LaBO3 (B= Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) systems and correlated with oxygen surface binding, oxygen surface vacancy formation, and oxygen band center. Reasonably good linear relationships suggest that these quantities could be effective descriptors for the ORR on SOFC perovskite cathodes.[1] J. K. Norskov, et al., Origin of the overpotential for oxygen reduction at a fuel-cell cathode, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 108, 17886 (2004).
LL2: Microstructure Formation and Evolution
Session Chairs
Long-Qing Chen
Alain Karma
Monday PM, November 30, 2009
Room 313 (Hynes)
2:30 PM - **LL2.1
Multiscale Modeling and Simulation of Solidification with Crystal Defects.
Alain Karma 1 , Robert Spatschek 2
1 Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2 Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Materials Simulation, Ruhr University, Bochum Germany
Show AbstractSolidification microstructures are generally polycrystalline and accompanied by defects in the form of tangles of dislocations, vacancies, and grain boundaries.Twin dendrite growth, polygonization, grain refinement, and hot cracking are just a few examples were crystal defects can strongly influence the microstructure by altering the dynamics or coalescence of solid-liquid interfaces at different stages of solidification, and in the presence of internal or external stresses. This talk will describe a new Ginzburg-Landau model of polycrystalline solidification formulated in terms of complex amplitudes of crystal density waves. This model is rooted in models of pattern formation and can also be derived from classical density functional theory by a multiple scale analysis. This approach has the atomic scale resolution of molecular dynamics and the phase-field-crystal method, thereby making it possible to describe generally the interaction of solid-liquid interfaces with a variety of crystal defects. At the same time, it retains much of the flexibility of the conventional phase-field method for constructing free-energy functionals for different alloy systems as well as for carrying out quantitative and efficient simulations. While formulated for solidification, this model also offers interesting prospects to model microstructural evolution at high homologous temperature with elastic interactions.
3:00 PM - LL2.2
A Phase-field Study of Ternary Multi-phase Microstructures.
Daniel Cogswell 1 , W. Craig Carter 1
1 Materials Science and Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractA new multi-phase, multi-component, computational microstructure model was developed. The model addresses physical and computational deficiencies with previous multi-phase models and was used to simulate several phenomena for the first time with phase-field techniques. Composition and phase gradients were included in the free energy functional. Chemical potential gradients calculated from the free energy functional served as the basis for the derivation of biharmonic nonlinear diffusion equations. A linear interpolation function was used to handle phase fractions and avoid problematic pair-wise treatment of phase boundaries. A cutoff barrier function was introduced as a less restrictive generalization of the pair-wise double well function. Parameters in the model were related to physical quantities such as free energy, surface energies between phases, and diffusivity. Four and five phase ternary free energy landscapes were used to simulate eutectic reactions, nucleation and growth, premelting, intergranular films, the appearance of transient and reactive phases, transient liquid bonding, and kaleidoscopic microstructure growth. Slow diffusion in the solid phases coupled with fast diffusion in the liquid phase was found to have a dramatic effect on microstructure evolution. Several numerical challenges were overcome and an adaptive implicit-explicit numerical scheme was developed for simulating coarsening at long times.
3:15 PM - LL2.3
Atomistic Study of Phase Transitions in Single and Nanocrstalline Fe-Cu: Structure, Shape and Plasticity.
Paul Erhart 1 , Babak Sadigh 1 , Alexander Stukowski 2 , Jaime Marian 1 , Alfredo Caro 1
1 Chemistry, Materials, Earth and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States, 2 Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Darmstadt Germany
Show AbstractWe have recently developed a hybrid Monte-Carlo/molecular dynamics (MD/MC) algorithm which is based on the so-called variance-constrained semigrandcanonical ensemble. For the first time, this tool enables us to study the phase transitions of Cu precipitates in ferritic Fe-Cu alloys without constraints on structure, shape or chemical composition. In single crystalline Fe-Cu at 700 K Cu precipitates containing less than ~18,000 atoms are found to adopt the bcc crystal structure and to form spherical clusters. For precipitates with more than ~28,000 atoms a multiply-twinned 9R structure is observed and the clusters assume an elongated "cigar-like" shape with a size-dependent aspect ratio between 1.7 and 2.3. The transition is associated with a hysteresis which extends approximately from 18,000 to 28,000 atoms. The critical size at which the structural transition is observed to be strongly temperature dependent with larger bcc clusters observed at higher temperatures. We show this behavior to be caused by a dynamical stabilization of bcc-Cu. Using the equilibrium structures obtained from our hybrid MD/MC algorithm, we have simulated the interaction of screw dislocations with Cu precipitates as a function of size and structure. Finally, we have also applied our methodology to study the precipitation in nano-crystalline Fe-Cu alloys. Copper shows a strong tendency to seggregate to grain boundaries and grain boundary junctions. The resulting precipitates are observed to undergo a size-dependent phase transition which --in stark contrast to bulk Fe-Cu -- does not proceed via a multiply-twinned 9R-structure but leads directly to fcc-Cu precipitates.
3:30 PM - LL2.4
An Atomic Scale Investigation of the Heterogeneous Nucleation of Solid Phase Aluminum from its Molten State.
Junsheng Wang 1 , Andrew Horsfield 1 , Stefano Angioletti-Uberti 1 , Peter Lee 1
1 Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, London, United Kingdom
Show AbstractTo improve aluminum alloy properties we need to understand the mechanisms by which liquid Al solidifies. A key step is the heterogeneous nucleation of the solid at the surface of small particles. TiB2 has been found experimentally to be very effective as a heterogeneous nucleus for solid Al. However, there is still controversy about the precise phase evolution sequence from TiB2 to solid Al at an atomistic rearrangement scale. Experimentally, many people have found that TiB2 can become an efficient nucleus only when a small amount of Ti is added. This has been explained by the formation of an intermediate Al3Ti at the surface of TiB2, followed by the subsequent production of the primary Al phase. In this study, Molecular Dynamics simulations are used to investigate the nucleation of solid Al at the surface of Al3Ti. We will discuss the complexities of constructing a robust potential on the basis of results from Density Functional Theory, and will show that the predicted sequence of events is consistent with the known phase diagram for Ti and Al.
4:15 PM - **LL2.5
Phase-field Approach to Integrated Phase and Grain Microstructure Evolution.
Saswata Bhattacharya 1 , Taewook Heo 1 , Long-Qing Chen 1
1 , Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
Show AbstractMost materials in engineering applications are polycrystalline, containing grains of different crystallographic orientations separated by grain boundaries. To predict the kinetics of phase transformations such as precipitation reactions and the accompanying microstructure evolution in the presence of grain boundaries is significantly more challenging than those in a uniform single crystal. Precipitation reactions in a polycrystalline material involve the complicated coupling among a number of different processes: solute segregation or depletion near grain boundaries, grain boundary migration, precipitate nucleation, growth and coarsening. Furthermore, the elastic moduli for a polycrystal are always spatially inhomogeneous: each grain has different elastic modulus and the elastic constants in the grain boundary regions are generally different from those inside the grains. In this presentation, a phase-field model will be presented for modeling solute segregation and precipitation of second-phase particles in a polycrystal in the presence of the elastic strain with inhomogeneous modulus. Examples to be discussed include segregation behavior at grain boundaries in the presence of coherent precipitates inside grains, the morphological evolution during isostructural phase separation in the presence of grain boundaries, and precipitation of tetragonal particles in polycrystalline cubic materials.
4:45 PM - LL2.6
Premelting of Body-Centered-Cubic Bicrystals.
Ari Adland 1 2 , Alain Karma 1 2 , Mark Asta 3 , David Olmstead 1 2 , Dorel Buta 3
1 Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 2 Center for Inter-Disciplinary Research on Complex Systems, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 3 Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States
Show AbstractThe presence of liquid films at grain boundaries below the bulk melting point can alter macroscopic properties of polycrystalline solids and dramatically reduce their resistance to shear stresses. The phase-field crystal (PFC) model is used to investigate the premelting behavior ofsymmetric tilt boundaries in body-centered-cubic (bcc) bicrystals as a function of misorientation and liquid correlation length that determines the solid-liquid interface width.A continuous premelting transition characterized by a diverging liquid film thickness at the bulk melting point is only found for interface widths larger than some threshold. Above this threshold, the range of misorientation for which this continuous transition occurs increases with interface width. The results are compared to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for parameters of Fe where both PFC and MD simulations predict continuous premelting transitions over finite ranges of misorientation.The comparison sheds light on the role of capillary fluctuations in the determination of short-range-forces between crystal-melt interfaces from different grains.
5:00 PM - LL2.7
Modeling of Magnetic Thin Film with Misfit Dislocations.
Nirand Pisutha-Arnond 1 , Bo Yang 2 , Mark Asta 2 , Katsuyo Thornton 1
1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 2 Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States
Show AbstractWe present a misfit dislocation model based on the Peierls-Nabarro formulation to study dislocation structures within heteroepitaxial Fe films grown on Mo(110) and W(110) substrates. The continuum model calculates the elastic field originating from the misfit dislocation array within a film of finite thickness. We use the stacking fault energy of the Fe/Mo and Fe/W systems from ab initio calculations as an input to the model. The interfacial energy stemming from the misfit dislocation is calculated and compared with the experimental estimation. By allowing the dislocation spacing to vary and by including the effect of homogeneous strain, the equilibrium dislocation spacing as a function of film thickness is obtained. We relate these results to the surface instability mechanism as well as the occurrence of the metastable height observed in Fe/Mo and Fe/W systems.
5:15 PM - LL2.8
Magnetic Grain Boundaries in Nickel.
Jan Kuriplach 1 , Oksana Melikhova 1 , Mojmir Sob 2 3
1 Low Temperature Physics, Charles University, Prague Czechia, 2 Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Brno Czechia, 3 , Institute of Physics of Materials, Brno Czechia
Show AbstractExploring connections between macroscopic characteristics of materials and their microscopic structure in atomistic dimensions is certainly an important topic in contemporary solid-state physics and materials science. A better understanding of the relations between macroscopic properties of solids and their structure provides new knowledge needed for development of materials with better technological properties. Internal interfaces, such as grain boundaries (GBs), are important elements of microstructure in polycrystalline solids, which have been widely used as engineering materials. Till now, however, fundamental interactions that determine the structure, stability and other important properties of GBs have not been fully understood, especially in magnetic materials. Theoretical calculations are, in this respect, very helpful as they can provide microscopic information that is often hardly accessible experimentally. In the present work, we employ an ab initio pseudopotential technique and concentrate on selected coherent GBs, such as Σ=5 (210) and Σ=19 (331), in nickel. We investigate first their stability and magnetism of atoms in the vicinity of GBs. The GB stability appears not to be significantly influenced by magnetism. On the other hand, we can observe an enhancement of atomic magnetic moments in the vicinity of grain boundaries. Furthermore, we examine an interaction of studied GBs with point defects. Namely, these are vacancies and sulphur and antimony impurities which tend to segregate at GBs in Ni. Both the grain boundary energy and segregation enthalpy are affected by the presence of a vacancy. In some cases, the so called vacancy delocalization at GBs, which is demonstrated as a substantial reduction of the vacancy free volume, is observed. Finally, the magnetic properties of GBs are also influenced by the interaction with point defects. These findings indicate that GB imperfections need to be seriously taken into account when calculating GB properties.
5:30 PM - LL2.9
Direct Approach to Atomistic ab initio Studies of Precipitate Growth in Alloys.
Flemming Ehlers 1 , Randi Holmestad 1 , Sigmund Andersen 2 , Calin Marioara 2
1 Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim Norway, 2 , SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, Trondheim Norway
Show AbstractA dramatic gain in the knowledge of precipitate formation, composition, and evolution in alloys has been achieved in the recent years with improvement of transmission electron microscopy techniques for direct structural imaging [1]. A detailed understanding of the microstructure is often essential for control and manipulation of materials properties: an important example for metals is the significant hardening of Al alloys by particular precipitates from a sequence strongly dependent on alloying element concentration and the treatment of the material [2].The wealth of experimental information provides a playground for theory in the context of elucidating precipitate growth mechanisms and influence on the host material. A head-on approach to atomistic modelling of these phenomena using an ab initio based scheme is conventionally deemed highly desired but impractical. The basic argument is that the system of any reasonably sized (i.e. realistic) and well isolated microstructure will simply contain too many atoms.We will challenge this conventional view: it is argued that most of the atoms of the above mentioned system do not play an active role in the growth discussion, hence need not be included in the modelling. Subsequently, a model system is presented which offers a highly accurate description of the interface between the host lattice and a microstructure of an arbitrary size. When used in conjunction with other approaches already available, this model system offers a direct approach to atomistic ab initio studies of microstructure growth.A general introduction to the modelling scheme will be presented, with the particular application being the main hardening precipitate beta'' in the Al-Mg-Si alloy.[1] K. W. Urban, Nature Mater. 8, 260 (2009).[2] C. D. Marioara, S. J. Andersen, H. W. Zandbergen, and R. Holmestad, Metal. Mater. Trans. A 36A, 691 (2005).
5:45 PM - LL2.10
Modeling Plastic Interactions in HCP Crystals.
Alejandro Diaz Ortiz 1 , Ruslan Kurta 1 , Volodymyr Bugaev 1 , Helmut Dosch 2
1 , Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Stuttgart Germany, 2 , DESY, Hamburg Germany
Show AbstractA promising avenue for the intelligent design of materials involves the construction of maps relating structural information with physical properties. The mapping of short ranged interactions have been already accomplished by a variety of schemes, but the long-range interactions arising from the atomic-size mismatch have resisted a proper description in complex systems. This is an unfortunate gap since the description elastic interactions are the sine qua non to understand important materials processes, such as hardening by precipitate formation. Here we introduce a method to map long-range strain-induced interactions that enables large-scale simulations in materials with complex crystalline structures. We demonstrate our approach by calculating the long-wave strain energy of hcp-based Ti alloys for a variety of impurities.
Symposium Organizers
Mark Asta University of California
Alex Umantsev Fayetteville State University
Joerg Neugebauer Max-Planck-Institut fuer Eisenforschung
LL3: Defects and Radiation Damage in Steels and Nuclear Materials
Session Chairs
Joerg Neugebauer
Francois Willaim
Tuesday AM, December 01, 2009
Room 313 (Hynes)
9:30 AM - **LL3.1
Straight and Kinked Dislocations in Fe from First Principles.
Lisa Ventelon 1 , Emmanuel Clouet 1 , Francois Willaime 1
1 SRMP, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette France
Show AbstractThe long range elastic interactions around dislocations make their investigation from first principles rather challenging. Focussing on screw dislocations in bcc iron, we have revisited and compared the two types of cell geometries used for such simulations: the periodic or dipole approach, and the cluster approach including with flexible boundary conditions. The non-degenerate core structure obtained in ab initio calculations has been analyzed in details, revealing a dilatation effect. Taking it into account in an anisotropic elasticity model, allows explaining the cell-size dependence of the energetics obtained within the dipole approach [1]. The Peierls potential obtained in ab initio suggests that the metastable core configuration at halfway position in the Peierls barrier, predicted by empirical potential, does not exist. We show how to construct tri-periodic cells optimized to study kinked dislocations [2]. 1. E. Clouet, L. Ventelon and F. Willaime, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102(2009) 0555022. L. Ventelon, F. Willaime and P. Leyronnas, J. Nucl. Mat. 386-388 (2009) 26.
10:00 AM - LL3.2
Solution, Mobility and Clustering with Vacancies of Al in Fe.
Hakim Amara 1 , Chu Chun Fu 2 , Frederic Soisson 2 , Philippe Maugis 3 4
1 , ONERA-CNRS, Chatillon France, 2 , CEA, Saclay France, 3 , CIRIMAT, Toulouse France, 4 , Arcelor Research, Metz France
Show AbstractThe development of low density steel is a very promising alternative in order to meet the industrial demand for high-performance material. In particular, Fe-Al based alloys show interesting properties for a new class of high-Al steels owing to high-temperatures corrosion resistance, mechanical strength, and relative low density. However, their mechanical properties are related to point defects and their concentration. It is well known that upon rapid quenching from elevated temperatures, iron aluminides retain a high concentration of thermal vacancies (V), which frozen, increase their yield strength and hardness at room temperatureThe aim of the present work is to study the properties of vacancies and defects in a FeAl system by mainly focusing on very dilute system containing fewAl atoms. Up to now, there are few studies related to the role of structural defects on the electronic structures, magnetic properties and atomic bonding in very dilute system, which should also help to give a better understanding of their behavior and mechanical properties. In particular, as these materials are sensitive to quench-in vacancies, the combination of small radius Al atoms with vacancies has not been fully addressed and is of a particular interest. Thus, it is expected that the presence of AlV clusters can be formed and then affect the properties of the material. The attempt of the present work is to investigate the stability and mobility of AlV clusters, at atomic scale, by combining ab initio calculations and Monte Carlo simulations.
10:15 AM - LL3.3
An Atomistic Study of Martensitic Phases in Dilute Fe-based Solid Solutions.
Alexander Udyansky 1 , Johann von Pezold 1 , Vladimir Bugaev 2 , Martin Friak 1 , Joerg Neugebauer 1
1 Computational Materials Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf Germany, 2 Low-dimensional and Metastable Materials, Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung, Stuttgart Germany
Show AbstractThe tetragonal states of interstitial Fe-based solid solutions are known as martensite. Martensitic transformations are not only underlying steel strengthening but are also the origin of unusual mechanical properties such as reversible strain, superelasticity and superplasticity as observed in a range of technologically important materials, including shape memory alloys and transformation-toughened ceramics. Martensitic transformations can be triggered/controlled e.g. by adding low concentrations of interstitial impurities such as carbon, nitrogen or oxygen. The stability of such low concentration tetragonal phases depends on both short-range chemical and long-range elastic interactions. The long-range limit is difficult to capture by standard atomistic approaches. We therefore employ the reciprocal space Krivoglaz-Kanzaki [1] force concept to calculate all relevant elastic interactions between interstitials in dilute Fe-based solid solutions. The short-range chemical interactions, as well as the parameters entering the analytical approach for the description of the elastic interaction are obtained atomistically using density functional theory (DFT) in the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). Applying this approach to technologically important Fe-based solid solutions allowed us to construct the temperature/interstitial concentration phase diagrams. An analysis of these diagrams showed that both long-range elastic and short-range chemical interactions need to be taken into account. Based on the computed phase diagrams we get a direct insight into the stability and formation of martensite: specifically tetragonal states are predicted to be preferred also at low C concentrations due to a thermodynamically driven [2] orientational ordering of carbon interstitials [3]. Further, the critical concentration for the cubic-tetragonal transition at room temperature is found in excellent agreement with recent experimental data. The developed multi-scale methodology allows to study long-range elastic defect-defect interactions even with rather modest supercell sizes making it an ideal tool in combination with modern DFT approaches.[1] M. A. Krivoglaz, X-Ray and Neutron Diffraction in Nonideal Crystals (Berlin: Springer, 1996) H. Kanzaki, J. Phys. Chem. Solids 2 24 (1957)[2] G. V. Kurdjumov and A. G. Khachaturyan, Metall. Trans. 3, 1069 1972[3] A. Udyansky, J. von Pezold, V. N. Bugaev, M. Friák and J. Neugebauer PRB 79, 224112 (2009)
10:30 AM - LL3.4
Multiscale Modeling of the Resistivity Recovery Experiments in Alpha-Iron using Event-based Kinetic Monte-Carlo.
Thomas Luypaert 1 , Donev Aleksandar 2 , Vasily Bulatov 2 , Mihai-Cosmin Marinica 3 , Athenes Manuel 3
1 Mechanical Engineering, Massachussets Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, 2 , Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States, 3 DEN/DMN Service de Recherches de Métallurgie Physique, CEA Saclay, Gif s/ Yvette France
Show AbstractPredicting the microstructural evolution of the radiation damage in materials requires handling the physics of infrequent-event systems where several time-scales are involved. The event-based Kinetic Monte-Carlo (KMC) method is essential for simulating the kinetics of materials under irradiation since it allows carrying out simulations over large time scales and high irradiation doses. Recently, a new event Monte-Carlo algorithm was proposed [1] which goes beyond the binary collision approximation used in the past (e.g. JERK method [2,3]). Using the theory of first-passage processes and time dependent Green's functions, the diffusion N-body problem is split into independent single- and two-body propagations circumventing numerous diffusion hops used in standard Monte Carlo simulations. This new method, namely, the First Passage KMC (FPKMC) algorithm, solves exactly the diffusion problems and is extremely efficient (order N). These two approaches were applied in the case of the isochronal resistivity recovery experiment in alpha-iron irradiated by electrons. Some aspects of this experiment were successfully reproduced by a multiscale modelling approach based on the image at 0 K of the energy landscape of the system [2]. The stability and mobility of small self-defect clusters determined by ab initio methods were the input data for an event based Kinetic Monte Carlo model used to explore the defect population evolution during the annealing and to extract the resistivity recovery peaks. However, some high doses and/or high temperature peaks are not very well reproduced. Using FPKMC we go beyond this vision including the finite temperature effects. To explore the energetic landscape we use an eigenvector following method for systematic search of saddle points and transition pathways on a given potential energy surface (recently improved version [4] of activation relaxation technique nouveau [5]). The effect of finite temperature is taken into account using the lattice dynamics [6].1.T. Oppelstrup et al. Phys. Rev. Lett., 97, 230602, (2006); T. Oppelstrup et al, arXiv:0905.3575 (2009) A. Donev et al, arXiv:0905.3576, (2009)2.A. Barbu et al, Phil. Mag. 85, 541 (2005)3.C.C. Fu et al. Nature Mat. 4, 68, (2005)4.E. Cances et al, J. Chem. Phys., 130, 114711 (2009)5.G.T. Bakerma et al, Phys. Rev. Lett., 77, 4358, (1996).6.Terentyev D.A. et al, 100, 145503 (2009)
11:15 AM - LL3.5
Quantum and Thermal Effects in Hydrogen Diffusion in BCC Iron: A Path-Integral Molecular Dynamics Study.
Hajime Kimizuka 1 , Hideki Mori 1 , Hiroki Ushida 1 , Shigenobu Ogata 1
1 Department of Mechanical Science and Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
Show AbstractWe analyze the diffusion behavior of interstitial hydrogen in bcc iron theoretically using path-integral centroid molecular dynamics (CMD) method, which can describe the real-time evolution of particles based on quantum statistical mechanics. In the present approach, the embedded-atom-method (EAM) potential model for the iron-hydrogen interaction is newly developed to reproduce the ab initio minimum energy path of hydrogen migration based on the density-functional-theory (DFT) data in the literature. This potential model allows us to describe the accurate “bare” potential surface, and the effective centroid potential surface can be obtained in quantum regime by incorporating the path-integral average.Time evolutions of mean-square displacements of hydrogen atoms in the bulk iron are calculated at temperatures of 100-1000 K, and then diffusion coefficients and activation energies of hydrogen migration are evaluated. The obtained results are in excellent agreement with experimental measurements over a wide temperature range. It clearly indicates that our approach is valid and effective for describing the nonlinear temperature dependence of the hydrogen diffusion behavior in the metal. In order to characterize the quantum effects on the hydrogen diffusion process, the CMD results are compared with those obtained from classical molecular dynamics (MD) method. By taking into account of quantum effects, the activation energy is significantly reduced and diffusion process is accelerated even at ambient temperatures. At low temperatures (below 500 K), quantum effects are dramatically enhanced as a temperature decreases, and thus the CMD values of activation energies become quite lower than the classical MD values. This leads to much higher hydrogen diffusivity in the quantum system than the classical system. On the other hand, we find that the quantum effects can be almost ignored at high temperatures over 500 K in the present case. This result suggests that hydrogen diffusion is approximately classical in this temperature region.These facts indicate that the quantum effects can play a significant role in hydrogen diffusivity over a wide temperature range in bcc iron. In this study, the hydrogen motions in the vicinity of a point defect and a screw-dislocation core are also investigated to evaluate the hydrogen-trapping effects by using our approach. It is noteworthy that no clear anisotropy of hydrogen diffusion is observed along the dislocation lines in bcc iron.
11:30 AM - LL3.6
Aiding the Design of Radiation Resistant Materials with Multiphysics Simulations of Damage Processes.
C. Race 1 , D. Mason 1 , J. le Page 1 , M. Finnis 1 2 , W. Foulkes 1 , A. Sutton 1
1 Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London United Kingdom, 2 Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London United Kingdom
Show AbstractThe design of metals and alloys resistant to radiation damage involves the physics of electronic excitations and the creation of defects and microstructure. During irradiation damage of metals by high energy particles, energy is exchanged between ions and electrons. Such "non-adiabatic" processes violate the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, on which all classical interatomic potentials rest. By treating the electrons of a metal explicitly and quantum mechanically we are able to explore the influence of electronic excitations on the ionic motion during irradiation damage. Simple theories suggest that moving ions should feel a damping force proportional to their velocity and directly opposed to it. In contrast, our simulations of a forced oscillating ion have revealed the full complexity of this force: in reality it is anisotropic and dependent on the ion velocity and local atomic environment. A large set of collision cascade simulations has allowed us to explore the form of the damping force further. We have a means of testing various schemes in the literature for incorporating such a force within molecular dynamics (MD) against our semi-classical evolution with explicitly modelled electrons. We find that a model in which the damping force is dependent upon the local electron density is superior to a simple fixed damping model. We also find that applying a lower kinetic energy cut-off for the damping force results in a worse model. Such cut-offs are frequently applied, but have only a poor physical justification. A detailed examination of the nature of the forces reveals that there is much scope for further improving the electronic force models within MD.
11:45 AM - LL3.7
The Relevance of fcc/bcc Interface Structure to Interface Properties: Investigation from Atomistic Modeling.
Xiang-Yang Liu 1 , R. Hoagland 1 , J. Wang 1 , M. Demkowicz 2 , B. Uberuaga 1 , A. Voter 1 , T. Germann 1 , M. Nastasi 1 , A. Misra 1
1 , Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States, 2 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractNanolayered Cu-Nb composites exhibit high strength and enhanced radiation damage tolerance. To understand the relevance of interface structure to interface properties in fcc-bcc systems, tunable potentials offer a fairly simple way to selectively vary parameters independently. In this work, the parameterization of the EAM interatomic potentials in fcc/bcc systems is modified to understand the interface properties. We first change the dilute heat of mixing between Cu and Nb and investigate the effects on interface structure, defect formation energies and shear resistance. To understand the interface behavior in different lattice geometries, the relative lattice constants between Cu and the bcc crystal phase were varied. The point defect energetic at these interfaces in the Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation relation is studied. Simulations of collision cascade at these interfaces using molecular dynamics (MD) and accelerated MD methods are performed to predict the radiation damage tolerance.
12:00 PM - LL3.8
Simulating Xe Redistribution in UO2±x with Heterogeneous Grain Boundary Micro-structures.
David Andersson 1 , Pankaj Nerikar 1 , Neil Carlson 1 , Blas Uberuaga 1 , Christopher Stanek 1
1 , Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Show AbstractFrom an engineering perspective, the formation and redistribution of fission gases are critical determinants of nuclear fuel performance and in particular limit the extent of burnup. Most fission gases have low solubility in the UO2±x fuel matrix and as a result there is a significant driving force for segregation of gas atoms to heterogeneities such as grain boundaries and subsequently for nucleation of gas bubbles. These effects are most pronounced for large fission gas atoms, which specifically include Xe, which is the focus of this study. Segregation to grain boundaries is often assumed to be followed by more rapid release to the fuel plenum, either via fast diffusion of individual gas atoms or via transport of nucleated gas bubbles. This implies that the first controlling step for fission gas release is diffusion of individual gas atoms through the fuel matrix to existing bubbles or grain boundaries (sinks), a process that is governed by the activation energy for bulk diffusion of gas atoms, the driving force for segregation to existing sinks (bubbles or grain boundaries) and their saturation limit. In separate studies we used atomistic simulations, based on both empirical potentials and density functional theory, to determine Xe bulk diffusion as function of UO2±x stoichiometry, the sink strengths for segregation of Xe to different types of grain boundaries as well as the sink strength variation as function of the Xe loading. Additionally, these studies have established the spatial range of the Xe interaction field with grain boundaries. Altogether these findings suggest that in order to properly model Xe redistribution we need to account for, not only the position of grain boundaries, but also the distribution of various types of grain boundaries. In this study we have developed a thermodynamic description of Xe in micro-structurally heterogeneous UO2±x fuels, i.e. a model that accounts for the existence of various types of grain boundaries, each exhibiting unique properties, as well as the local concentration of Xe atoms. We demonstrate how such a model can be formulated and parameterized using results from the atomistic simulations described above. The thermodynamic model is then applied in conjunction with calculated Xe mobilities to derive a transport model that explicitly accounts for the Xe interaction field with grain boundaries. This model is then solved for a number of grain boundary distributions having different character and grain sizes by using a sharp interface model. We also present results for case studies that assume different release mechanisms and rates from the grain boundaries as well simplistic models for bubble nucleation. Finally we discuss generalizations of the sharp interface model to a phase field model capable of describing a wider range of phenomena.
12:15 PM - LL3.9
Computer Modeling of the Role of Symmetric and Asymmetric Tilt Grain Boundaries in Improving Radiation Tolerance.
Xian-Ming Bai 1 , Richard Hoagland 1 , Michael Nastasi 1 , Arthur Voter 1 , Blas Uberuaga 1
1 , Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Show AbstractSymmetric and Asymmetric sigma 11 tilt grain boundaries (GBs) in copper are used as model systems to study the effects of detailed GB structure on radiation tolerance. Molecular dynamics is used to simulate the cascade-induced defect production phase of the radiation damage event. We have examined the damage produced as a function of both the original distance between the primary knock-on atom (PKA) and the GB as well as the energy of the PKA. Multiple simulations were performed to obtain good statistics of the number of defects. We have found that, compared to a single crystal, both GBs show the potential of enhancing radiation tolerance. The radiation resistance is sensitive to the initial PKA distance from a GB and there is an optimal PKA distance for defect absorption, implying that the optimal grain size depends on the PKA energy and thus the irradiation spectrum. Molecular statics was used to calculate the defect formation energies at the GBs relative to the bulk crystal. Finally, accelerated molecular dynamics was used to investigate the long-time annealing of defects produced near the GBs.
12:30 PM - LL3.10
Grain Boundary Structures and Influence on Segregation Properties in Uranium Dioxide.
Pankaj Nerikar 1 , Blas Uberuaga 1 , Chris Stanek 1 , David Andersson 1 , Susan Sinnott 2 , Simon Phillpot 2
1 MST-8 Structure/Property Relations, Los Alamos National Lab, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States, 2 Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
Show AbstractUranium dioxide (UO2) is the standard nuclear fuel in pressurized water reactors. Fission gases such as xenon (Xe) migrate to grain boundaries and cause swelling of the fuel. The structure of grain boundaries in UO2 and the propensity of Xe to segregate to boundaries of different structure is explored in this work using empirical potentials and density functional theory. The specific boundaries studied were symmetric Σ 5 tilt, Σ 5 twist, and an amorphous boundary. Surprisingly, we found the energy of segregation to be very sensitive to the local atomic environment of the solute atom in the host and that there is a substantial difference in the overall segregation propensity to the three boundaries selected. Possible implications of this study on Xe diffusion and in predicting macroscopic fuel behavior are discussed. This work was supported in part by the DOE-BES Computational Materials Science Network.
12:45 PM - LL3.11
Predicted Energies and Structures Associated With the Mixed Calcium Strontium Fluorapatites.
Robin Grimes 1 , Emily Michie 1 , Elly Jay 1
1 , Imperial College London, London United Kingdom
Show AbstractAtomic scale local density functional simulations and configurational averaging are used to predict the energies and lattice parameters associated with mixed calcium/strontium fluorapatites; CaxSr10-x(PO4)6F2. In particular, the partition of Sr2+ and Ca2+ ions between the 6h and 4f cation sites is established across the entire compositional range; 0 ≤ x ≤ 10 in steps of 1. Particularly around the mid-composition, large numbers of distinct configurations must be simulated. The resulting data is used to generate lattice parameters and lattice volumes, which are analyzed as a function of Ca2+ to Sr2+ concentration and particular cation site distributions. The predicted internal energy of mixing between the end members is used to discuss the available experimental data. The ab initio results are then compared with equivalent simulations carried out using interatomic potential parameters.At low Sr2+ ion concentrations there is only a slight energetic preference predicted for a Sr2+ ion to occupy a 6h site rather than a 4f site. Consequently the distribution of Sr2+ ions over the 6h and 4f sites approaches a random distribution. Since there are more 6h sites than 4f, this means that the majority of Sr2+ ions occupy 6h sites. As the Sr2+ ion concentration increases, there is a greater energetic preference for an individual Sr2+ ion to occupy a 6h rather than a 4f site and this translates into a greater overall preference for Sr2+ ions to be observed at 6h sites. The internal energies for solution calculated using the ab initio approach predict a strongly asymmetric curve across the compositional spectrum, which can be used to interpret experimental observations. The classical model is less successful; although it does reproduce the basic shape the detail is less satisfactory. Reasons for this will be discussed.We predict that a strong preference for Sr2+ ions to occupy 6h sites, will result in a nonlinear increase in the “a” lattice parameter but an opposite nonlinear increase in the “c” lattice parameter. Consequently there is, remarkably, an overall linear increase in volume upon Sr2+ substitution irrespective of the Sr2+ ion distribution. However, the predicted configurational average occupation values leads to a distribution of Sr2+ ions over 6h and 4f sites which is sufficiently close to random that an essentially linear change in lattice parameters is expected.
LL4: Recent Methodological Developments
Session Chairs
Tuesday PM, December 01, 2009
Room 313 (Hynes)
2:30 PM - **LL4.1
Bond-order Potentials for Bridging the Electronic to Atomistic Modelling Hierarchies in Materials Science.
Ralf Drautz 1
1 ICAMS, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum Germany
Show AbstractThe derivation of robust interatomic potentials is a key step for bridging from the electronic to the atomistic modelling hierarchies. In this talk I will present an analytic interatomic bond-order potential (BOP) that depends explicitly on the valence of the transition metal element [1]. This analytic potential predicts the structural trend from hcp to bcc to hcp to fcc that is observed across the non-magnetic 4d and 5d transition metal series. The potential also describes the different ferromagnetic moments of the alpha (bcc), gamma (fcc) and epsilon (hcp) phase of the 3d transition metal iron, the difference between the ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic states as well as non-collinear spin-configurations. In addition, the potential includes a correct description of alloy bonding within its remit. I will show how the potential is derived from the tight-binding electronic structure as a systematic extension of the second-moment Finnis-Sinclair potential to include higher moments and will dicuss the application of the potential to modelling topologically close-packed phases in Ni-based superalloys. [1] R. Drautz and D.G. Pettifor, Phys. Rev. B 74, 174117 (2006).
3:00 PM - LL4.2
The Angular-Dependent Embedded Atom Method Potential for Atomistic Modeling of Metal-Covalent Systems.
Avinash Dongare 1 2 , Douglas Irving 1 , Leonid Zhigilei 3 , Arunachalam Rajendran 4 , Bruce LaMattina 5 , Mohammed Zikry 2 , Donald Brenner 1
1 Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, 3 Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, 4 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States, 5 , U. S. Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States
Show AbstractAtomic-scale modeling of many practically important multi-component systems requires interatomic potentials capable of providing an adequate description of interactions with mixed types of atomic bonding. We present a new computationally efficient Angular-dependent EAM (A-EAM) interatomic potential developed by combining the Embedded Atom Method (EAM) potential for metals with the Stillinger – Weber (SW) potential for Si/Ge in a compatible functional form. The cross metal-covalent interactions are fitted to reproduce the energies and structural characteristics of several representative bulk structures and small clusters as obtained from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The first applications of the A-EAM potential to investigate effects of intermixing and segregation in the Au-Si-Ge ternary system as well as the mechanical properties of metal-covalent (Al/Si) interfaces at the atomic scale using molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation techniques will be presented. The combined potential proves to be computationally efficient and suitable for large-scale MD simulations of metal–Si/Ge systems, while retaining the properties of the pure components as predicted by the original SW and EAM potentials. The framework of the A-EAM potential also allows for an extension to the Tersoff potential opening possibilities for modeling of metal-carbon and metal-SiC systems.
3:15 PM - LL4.3
The Development of a Magnetic Potential for BCC Fe.
Samuele Chiesa 1 , Peter Derlet 2 , Sergei Dudarev 3 , Mark Gilbert 3 , Helena Van Swygenhoven 1
1 NUM/ASQ, PSI, Villigen Switzerland, 2 NUM/CMT, PSI, Villigen Switzerland, 3 EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Show AbstractThere has been considerable activity within the radiation damage community to develop reliable and transferrable empirical potentials for pure alpha-Fe for use in the atomistic study of defect creation, evolution and mobility. Such an effort has been driven by the availability of spin-resolved DFT calculations that expand the ab-initio materials database of pure alpha-Fe to include energy data of defects such as interstitial and vacancy clusters and dislocation structures. The fundamental role that ferromagnetism plays in alpha-Fe has been further confirmed by these calculations where, unique to all other BCC transition metals, the <110> dumbbell single interstitial defect has a significantly lower formation energy than the <111> dumbbell or a crowdion. The Magnetic Potential (MP) is the first attempt to explicitly include ferromagnetism within an EAM formalism [J. Phys.: Cond. Matt. 17, 7097 (2005)]. We applied a trial and error approach to optimize the MP within the available range of ab-initio data on defect and magnetic properties. To control anharmonicity, experimental third order elastic constants have been included in the fitting algorithm, and results from the recently developed Frenkel-Kontorova multi-string model were applied successfully to control the core structure of the <111> screw dislocation. Limitations of the MP formalism to extrapolate the ab initio database can be easily investigated within our method: the focus is on the mobility of the non-degenerate screw dislocation, self-interstitial properties, as well as equilibrium properties the FCC and BCC phases. An optimized short range version of the MP has been selected. When considering a multiscale model, a natural question arises: how sensitive are thermodynamical quantities to the static properties they where fitted to? We try to answer this question by comparing full dynamical, quasi-static and static calculations of the vibrational free energy of the <110> self-interstitial dumbbell defect in BCC Fe for a range of modern empirical potentials including the MP and the optimized version. It is found that, depending on the empirical potential, the harmonic approximation for the vibrational free energy is justified especially for empirical potentials that have been fitted to third order elastic constants. The unique applicability range of such calculations for BCC Fe is also discussed given that with rising temperature spin fluctuations become increasingly important. The work was partly funded by the UK EPSRC and EURATOM.
4:00 PM - LL4.4
Enhancing Molecular Dynamics to Capture Electronic Effects.
N. Modine 1 , R. Jones 2 , D. Olmsted 1 , J. Templeton 2 , G. Wagner 2 , R. Hatcher 3 , M. Beck 4
1 , Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, 2 , Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California, United States, 3 , Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, United States, 4 , Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Show AbstractIn modeling non-equilibrium thermal transport in solids, classical molecular dynamics (MD) has the primary strength of explicitly representing phonon modes and the defects that scatter phonons. On the other hand, electrons and their role in energy transport are missing. In nanoscale and nanostructured systems, the behavior of the system is complicated further by phonon-confinement, ballistic transport, and discrete defect scattering effects. These effects are absent in phenomenological models of heat transport, but naturally captured by MD. Our goal is to couple a MD treatment of the ionic subsystem with a partial differential equation (PDE)-based model of the electronic subsystem in order to accurately capture the aggregate behavior of nanoscale systems. Along these lines, we have enhanced the LAMMPS MD package by coupling the ionic motions to a finite element (FE) based representation of electronic charge and heat transport. The coupling between the subsystems occurs via a local version of the two-temperature model that allows the ionic and electronic subsystems to exchange energy and eventually come into equilibrium. Key parameters describing the coupling between the electronic and ionic subsystems are calculated using Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT). These TDDFT calculations can be either explicit (i.e., energy is actually transferred between the electrons and ions during the simulation) or implicit (i.e., the rate of energy transfer is determined via the fluctuation dissipation theorem). Initial demonstrations of our approach and capabilities have focused on heat transport in nanowires and carbon nanotubes, and these results will be discussed.Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE- AC04-94AL85000.
4:15 PM - LL4.5
Force Matching Via Local Geometry Mapping.
Ljubomir Miljacic 1 , Donald Ellis 2 , Axel van de Walle 1
1 Material Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States, 2 Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
Show AbstractImproving a force-field quality by matching the forces to a more accurate theoretical model on a finite set of system configurations is a long standing problem in the physics of materials. We address this problem via mapping a complex many-body situation to a much reduced description of important local geometries. Assuming that these can be described in a structured way, mainly related to how electrons are expected to respond to their continuously changing many-body environment, the matching of the forces on the involved atoms is expressed in terms of a small number of additional, problem specific degrees of freedom, the “supercoordinates” of the force field parameters. When the less accurate model is a classical Molecular Dynamics (MD) model, the supercoordinates can be based only on local atomic positions. When it is an ab-initio one capable of producing relevant MD trajectories, the supercoordinates can be also based on local electronic structure, as provided by the running quantum engine; here, the force matching introduces a corrective classical force-field UC, added to maximally reproduce a superior quality ab-initio forces. We applied this strategy in calculating Equation of State of Ta and Fe, needed to understand and model the high-energy-density dynamic response in metals, as it arises in hypervelocity impact experiments. The significant presence of electron correlation in these transition metals raises a problem of accuracy of the underlying ab-initio MD model, for which we used Density Functional Theory (DFT) with corrective pair-wise UC terms. Combining DFT using the B3LYP hybrid functional with QMC calculations provided the higher accuracy model. To reduce the ab-initio demand in the wide P-T ranges, we fit available gas-liquid data to the Peng-Robinson model [1]. We also tested this strategy on a system of a water molecule broadly interacting with hematite surface and a 66% reduction in the force mismatch, between a simple atomistic AMBER force field and a DFT-based model, was achieved [2]. [1] Ind. Eng. Chem., Fundam 15, 59 (1976)[2] L. Miljacic, D.E. Ellis, “Force matching via local geometry mapping method”, in preparation.
4:30 PM - LL4.6
Self-learning Synchronous Parallel Kinetic Monte Carlo for Discrete Systems.
Enrique Martinez 1 , Jaime Marian 2 , Paul Monasterio 3 , Malvin Kalos 2
1 , IMDEA Materiales, Madrid Spain, 2 , Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, United States, 3 , Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Show AbstractA new kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm for discrete systems is presented. Its development is based on the continuum diffusion-reaction algorithm presented in ref. [1], where it was demonstrated that perfect synchronicity is achievable by introducing a set of null events that simplify the implementation considerably. The phase transition kinetics of the Ising model have been studied and the critical exponents calculated for a system up to 1e9 spins. We have avoided boundary conflicts by using a sublattice separation method such that events take place at the same time in not-neighboring subdomains. We analyze the bias as a function of the different parameters that control it and show that it can be kept basically negligible. Concerning scalability measures, the introduction of the null events makes possible the implementation of a self-learning algorithm that adjust the set of null events in time avoiding global communications and increasing the efficiency of the algorithm.[1] J. Comp. Phys. 227 (2008) 3804-3823
4:45 PM - LL4.7
A Concurrent Multiscale Method for Coupling Atomistic and Continuum Models at Finite Temperatures.
Catalin Picu 1 2 , Nithin Mathew 1 2 , Max Bloomfield 2 , Mark Shephard 2
1 , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, United States, 2 Scientific Computation Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, United States
Show AbstractA concurrent multi-scale modeling method for finite temperature simulation of solids is introduced. The objective is to represent far from equilibrium phenomena using an atomistic model and near equilibrium phenomena using a continuum model, the domain being partitioned in discrete and continuum regions, respectively. An overlay sub-domain is define