Atomic simulation of the vacancies in BCC metals with MAEAM

The formation energy of the mono-vacancy and both the formation energy and binding energy of the di-and tri-vacancy in BCC alkali metals and transition metals have been calculated by using the modified analytical embedded-atom method (MAEAM). The formation energy of each type of configuration of the vacancies in the alkali metals is much lower than that in the transition metals. From minimum of the formation energy or maximum of the binding energy, the favorable configuration of the di-vacancy and tri-vacancy respectively is the first-nearest-neighbor (FN) or second-nearest-neighbor (SN) di-vacancy and the [112] tri-vacancy constructed by two first-and one second-nearest-neighbor vacancies. It is indicated that there is a concentration tendency for vacancies in BCC metals.     

Representation surfaces of Young''s modulus and Poisson''s ratio for BCC transition metals

 The general expressions for the compliance , Young's modulus E(h k l) and Poisson's ratio υ(h k l) along an arbitrary direction [h k l] are given for cubic crystals. The representation surfaces, for which the length of the radius vector in the [h k l] direction equals to E(h k l) or υ(h k l), are constructed for seven BCC transition metals Cr, Fe, Mo, Nb, Ta, V and W. Neglecting W, which is isotropic, both representation surfaces of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio are spherical surfaces. The remaining BCC transition metals may be grouped into two classes. In the first group (Cr, Mo, Nb and V) with negative values of s_A, Young's modulus surface has eight depressed corners and six rounded protuberances at the centers of the faces. In the second group (Fe and Ta) with positive values of s_A, on the contrary, Young's modulus surface has eight rounded protuberance corners and six depressions at the centers of the faces. The contrary conclusions are obtained for Poisson's ratio.     

Computer simulation of symmetrical tilt grain boundaries in noble metals with MAEAM

This paper reports that an atomic scale study of [\bar {1}10] symmetrical tilt grain boundary (STGB) has been made with modified analytical embedded atom method (MAEAM) for 44 planes in three noble metals Au, Ag and Cu. For each metal, the energies of two crystals ideally joined together are unrealistically high due to very short distance between atoms near the grain boundary (GB) plane. A relative slide between grains in the GB plane results in a significant decrease in GB energy and a minimum value is obtained at specific translation distance. The minimum energy of Cu is much higher than that of Ag and Au, while the minimum energy of Ag is slightly higher than that of Au. For all the three metals, the three lowest energies correspond to identical (111), \mbox(113) and \mbox(331) boundary successively for two translations considered; from minimization of GB energy, these boundaries should be preferable in [\bar {1}10] STGB for noble metals. This is consistent with the experimental results. In addition, the minimum energy increases with increasing reciprocal planar coincidence density \Sigma, but decreases with increasing relative interplanar distance d /a.     

Calculation of the formation energies of isolated vacancy and adatom-vacancy pair at low-index surfaces of fcc metals with MAEAM

The formation energies of isolated vacancy and adatom-vacancy pair (where the two are separated by a large distance) at low-index surfaces of fcc metals calculated by using the modifies analytical embedded atom method (MAEAM). The results predict the prevailing formation of vacancies on the surfaces (1 1 1), (1 0 0) (but Pd), Cu and Ni on the (1 1 0) surfaces at low temperature, and the defect formation energies consistently create in the sequence (1 1 0) → (1 0 0) → (1 1 1). With good accuracy, the calculated energy values coincide with those obtained by the embedded atom methods (EAM) and from experiments. The correctness of the method by which calculated the formation energies of point defects on the surface was proved.     

The S-D transition and high-pressure phase stability of transition metals

Abstract

The recent discovery of a solid-solid phase change in shock-compressed Mo and the theoretical interpretation suggest valence d-electron density as a major influence on structural stability. The relationship of this experimental result to the transition metal structures and alloy phase diagrams will be discussed. Specific predictions will be presented for the locations and slopes of transition metal and transition metal alloy phase boundaries.     

Dependence of stresses on grain orientations in BCC polycrystalline films on substrates

Most thin films have different thermal expansion coefficients from their substrates, thus thermal stresses will be introduced into the films when the temperature is changed during annealing and service. Calculations of these stresses for grains in various crystallographic orientations have been made for seven BCC transition metals Cr, Fe, Mo, Nb, Ta, V and W. Neglecting W, which is isotropic and the stresses are equiaxial and without grain orientation （hkl） dependence, the BCC metals may be grouped into two classes. In the first class （Cr, Mo, Nb and V）, the （100）-oriented grains have the largest stresses, while the stresses σ1 and σ2 in other （hkl）-oriented grains decrease linearly with the increase of the angle between （hkl） and （100）, and with σ1 〈 σ2 except in （100）- and （lll）-oriented grains. In the second class （Fe and Ta）, on the contrary, the （100）-oriented grains have the lowest stresses, and the stresses σ1 and σ2 in other （hkl）-oriented grains increase linearly with the increase of the angle between （hkl） and （100）, and with σ1 〉 σ2 except in （100）- and （111）-oriented grains.     

Self-diffusion of multiarm star polymers in solution far from and near the ordering transition

The self-diffusion of three 128-arm polybutadiene star solutions in toluene was investigated over a broad concentration range from dilute to the ordering region with pulsed field gradient NMR (PFG-NMR). The strong concentration dependence of the self-diffusion coefficient in the fluid state is distinguished clearly from that of linear chains and can be described by a non-Arrhenius VFT-like equation with the concentration playing the role of inverse temperature. In the concentrated regime, the observation of two dynamic phases reflects the coexistence of crystalline and liquid phases over a limited concentration region. The concentration dependences of both the ordinary (fluid-like) diffusion and the completely restricted in-cage motion of these hyper stars are in agreement with the behavior of concentrated colloidal suspensions.     

Structure of some liquid transition metals using integral equation theory

We present the results of calculations of the structure factorS(q) of some liquid 3d transition metals using the self consistent hybridized mean spherical approximation (HMSA) integral equation. The local pseudopotential used is composed of the empty core model and a part that takes care of s-d mixing through an inverse scattering approach to model the interionic pair potential. The results presented are in very good agreement with experiment for most of the systems investigated near freezing, as well as for the noble metals Cu, Ag and Au, thus, confirming the reliability of the pseudopotential in the present integral equation scheme.     

Twinning to slip transition in ultrathin BCC Fe nanowires

We report twinning to slip transition with decreasing size and increasing temperature in ultrathin <100> BCC Fe nanowires. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on different nanowire size in the range 0.404–3.634 nm at temperatures ranging from 10 to 900 K. The results indicate that slip mode dominates at low sizes and high temperatures, while deformation twinning is promoted at high sizes and low temperatures. The temperature, at which the nanowires show twinning to slip transition, increases with increasing size. The different modes of deformation are also reflected appropriately in the respective stress–strain behaviour of the nanowires.     

Atomistic simulation of the self-diffusion in Fe (1 1 1) surface

The formation energies, the intra- and inter-layer self-diffusion activation energies of a single vacancy in Fe (1 1 1) surface have been investigated with the modified analytical embedded-atom method (MAEAM). The results show that the effect of the surface is down to the sixth layer for the formation and intra-layer migration of the vacancy. It is easier for a vacancy to form and to migrate in intra-layer in the first (especially), the second and the third layer. For inter-layer migration, a single vacancy in each of the first six layers is favorable to migrate to the upper layers. On the contrary, a single vacancy in the seventh, the eighth and the ninth layers is favorable to migrate to the lower layers.     

Atomistic simulation of point defects at low-index surfaces of noble metals

The formation energies and the migration energies of an isolated vacancy and adatom formed on low-index surfaces are calculated with MAEAM for three noble metals Cu, Ag and Au. The results indicate that the formation energies of an isolated vacancy or adatom increase with increasing atom density in the sequence (1 1 0) → (1 0 0) → (1 1 1), and it is more difficult to form an adatom than to form a vacancy at the same surface. For the mobility of an isolated vacancy, the migration energy grows in the sequence (1 0 0) → (1 1 0) → (1 1 1) for each noble metal. However, a much less migration energy is obtained for the migration of an adatom on (1 1 1) surface.     

用MAEAM法计算Ag/Ni的界面能

采用改进分析型嵌入原子法计算了Ag(111)//Ni(001)和Ag(001)//Ni(111)扭转界面的能量，结果表明：对Ag(111)//Ni(001)界面，当扭转角等于0°（或30°）时界面能最小，这一择优扭转角取向和Gao等人的实验结果一致；同样，对Ag(001)//Ni（111）界面，当扭转角等于0°（或30°）时界面能最小；从界面能最小化考虑，Ag(001)//Ni(111)扭转界面的择优扭转角也为0°（或30°）. 关键词： Ag/Ni界面 界面能 计算 改进分析型嵌入原子法 近重合位置点阵     

Self-diffusion in simple models: Systems with long-range jumps

We review some exact results for the motion of a tagged particle in simple models. Then, we study the density dependence of the self-diffusion coefficientD _N() in lattice systems with simple symmetric exclusion in which the particles can jump, with equal rates, to a set ofN neighboring sites. We obtain positive upper and lower bounds onF _N()=N{(1–)–[D_N()/D_N(0)]}/[(1–)]x for [0, 1]. Computer simulations for the square, triangular, and one-dimensional lattices suggest thatF _N becomes effectively independent ofN forN20.     

Surface properties of 3d transition metals

Using the projector augmented wave method within density functional theory, we present a systematic study of the layer relaxation, surface energy and surface stress of 3d transition metals. Comparing the calculated trends for the surface energy and stress with those obtained for 4d and 5d metals we find that magnetism has a significant effect on the surface properties. Enhanced surface magnetic moments decrease the size of the surface relaxation, lower the surface energy and surface stress, leading to compressive stress in Cr and Mn.     

FCC金属结构稳定性和声子谱的MAEAM研究

应用改进分析型嵌入原子方法(MAEAM)计算fcc金属的结构稳定性和声子谱.考虑更远邻原子之间的相互作用,提出新的两体势函数,并采用新的截尾处理函数和加强光滑连接条件.通过拟合单空位迁移能、结合能、三个独立弹性常数及晶体平衡条件,确定了模型参数.在体积不变条件下,计算金属不同结构的能量,说明Ag、Al、Au、Cu、Ir、Ni、Pd、Pt和Rh的fcc结构比较稳定.它们的能量-体积曲线与Rose方程结果基本-致,进-步说明了体积变化时的结构稳定性.同时发现[100]、[110]和[111]三个方向声子谱的计算结果符合实验值和其它计算结果.     

On the nature of ion bombardment-induced phase transformations in films of transition metals

Abstract

Electron diffraction studies have been made of polycrystalline Ni films irradiated with well separated beams of ions of different nature, namely ions of inert (He⁺, Ne⁺, Ar⁺, Kr⁺, Xe⁺) and reactive (N⁺ and O⁺) gases. The Ni films were prepared under vacuum conditions (P? 3·10^?6Pa during evaporation) preventing an appreciable contamination of the films with impurities. The samples were irradiated at T? 300 K with ion beams of energies from 10 to 100 keV in the dose range between 5·10¹⁶ cm^?2 and the value leading to sample destruction.

Irradiation with noble gas ions revealed no phase transitions in the Ni films. A similar result was obtained in irradiation of Fe and Cr films with He⁺ ions. The bombardment of Ni films with reactive gas ions does cause changes in the lattice structure of the samples under study, depending on the nature of the bombarding ions. The N⁺ ion bombardment gives rise to the hcp phase with the lattice parameters typical of the Ni₃N compound, and the O⁺ ion bombardment results in the fcc phase with the NiO-type parameter.

The conclusion is drawn on the chemical origin of the phase transformations in the Ni films under ion bombardment. The necessity of revising the concept about the polymorphous nature of phase transformations induced in the films of transition metals by ion bombardment is substantiated.     

Phonon dispersion curves of transition metals using modified general tensor force model

The general tensor force model has been modified by incorporating separately the electron-ion interactions. The model satisfies the translational symmetry requirements of the lattice and is used to obtain the phonon dispersion curves of chromium, molybdenum and tungsten. The agreement between the theoretical and experimental frequencies is very good.     

Self-diffusion in fluids with weak long-range forces

Diffusion of a test particle in a homogeneous classical fluid with weak long-range forces is studied. The dominant mean-field effect (Vlasov's theory) vanishes for symmetry reasons. Dynamical phenomena follow then from fluctuations of the effective potential energy felt by the propagating particle. The kinetic equation corresponding to this mechanism is derived with the use of the multiple-time-scale method. Its structure resembles very much that of the (linearized) Balescu-Lenard equation of hot plasma theory. It is shown that the kinetic equation holds only if no phase transition occurs in the system. The thermalization of the diffusing particle and the high-temperature and Lorentz gas limits are discussed.