Interface-plane parameterization for macroscopic grain boundary identification

Abstract

The geometric state of a flat boundary is frequently described using the so-called macroscopic parameters. They are a principal tool for dealing with interfaces at the continuous scale. The paper describes a new method for macroscopic identification of boundaries. The proposed approach is based on Euler angles representing orientations of the crystals. Two pairs of the angles are directly related to two vectors normal to the boundary plane in the crystal reference frames, and the new boundary representation can be viewed as a triplet composed of these vectors and the angle of rotation about the axis perpendicular to the plane. The representation resembles the ‘interface-plane scheme’, but unlike the latter, it is a proper parameterization. Basic practical aspects of the parameterization (such as equivalences due to symmetries, fundamental regions, uniform distribution of boundaries) are considered. The parameterization is applied to examination of Bulatov-Reed-Kumar model of grain boundary energy and reveals its previously unknown features. The proposed boundary identification method, apart from its use in numerical calculations, appeals to physical intuition.