Ultrafast visualization of crystallization and grain growth in shock-compressed SiO2.
Pressure- and temperature-induced phase transitions have been studied for more than a century but very little is known about the non-equilibrium processes by which the atoms rearrange. Shock compression generates a nearly instantaneous propagating high-pressure/temperature condition while in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) probes the time-dependent atomic arrangement. Here we present in situ pump-probe XRD measurements on shock-compressed fused silica, revealing an amorphous to crystalline high-pressure stishovite phase transition. Using the size broadening of the diffraction peaks, the growth of nanocrystalline stishovite grains is resolved on the nanosecond timescale just after shock compression. At applied pressures above 18 GPa the nuclueation of stishovite appears to be kinetically limited to 1.4±0.4 ns. The functional form of this grain growth suggests homogeneous nucleation and attachment as the growth mechanism. These are the first observations of crystalline grain growth in the shock front between low- and high-pressure states via XRD.
Shock and Detonation Physics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.|Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
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AE
Gleason
Shock and Detonation Physics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
C A
CA
Bolme
Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
H J
HJ
Lee
Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
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B
Nagler
Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
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E
Galtier
Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
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D
Milathianaki
Institute for Shock Physics, Washington State University, PO Box 642816, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA.
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J
Hawreliak
Shock Physics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
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RG
Kraus
Shock Physics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
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JH
Eggert
Shock Physics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
D E
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Fratanduono
Shock Physics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
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GW
Collins
Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
R
R
Sandberg
HPSynC, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.|Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, 1690 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China.
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W
Yang
Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.|Geological Sciences, Stanford University, 367 Panama Street, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
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Mao