title: Why do grain boundaries exhibit finite facet lengths?
abstract: Uniform finite facets are frequently observed at grain boundaries (GBs) and are usually attributed to equilibrium stabilization by GB stress. We report calculations for an aluminum twin GB using density functional theory, the embedded-atom method, and continuum elasticity theory. These methods show that GB stress is much too small to stabilize finite facets, suggesting that the usual explanation is incorrect.
authors.affiliation: Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94551, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Donald J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Istvan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Daruka
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Léonard