| Abstract Scope |
Grain boundary (GB) migration in polycrystals is influenced by various factors, including temperature, driving force, boundary character, defects, and constraints imposed by polycrystalline systems. This study examines some of these behaviors in the context of the recently hypothesized Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) topological transition (PNAS, 2020, v117, 33077). This transition is expected to emerge at elevated temperature when disconnection pairs become unbound, leading to changes in migration behaviors. Specifically, we examine changes in mobility, shear coupling, and boundary roughness and compare these across various GBs. The impact of a grain-scale elastic constraint that would exist in polycrystalline systems is also examined. All these factors are examined in the context of the hypothesized characteristics of the KT transition. |