Atomistic computer simulations were performed using embedded atom method interatomic potentials in α-Fe with impurities and defects. The effects of intergranular carbon on fracture toughness and the mechanisms of fracture were investigated. It was found that as the average grain size changes the dominant energy release mechanism also changes. Because of this the role of the intergranular carbon changes and these mechanisms compete affecting the fracture toughness differently with changing grain size. Grain boundary accommodation mechanisms are seen to be dominant in the fracture of nanocrystalline α-Fe. To supplement this work we investigate grain boundary sliding using the Σ = 5,(310)[001] symmetrical tilt grain boundary. We observe that in this special boundary sliding is governed by grain boundary dislocation activity with Burgers vectors belonging to the DSC lattice. The sliding process was found to occur through the nucleation and glide of partial grain boundary dislocations, with a secondary grain boundary structure playing an important role in the sliding process. Interstitial impurities and vacancies were introduced in the grain boundary to study their role as nucleation sites for the grain boundary dislocations. While vacancies and H interstitials act as preferred nucleation sites, C interstitials do not. / Ph. D.

Phonons are primary heat carriers in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene; a fundamental understanding of phonon transport in these nano-structures is required for the energy efficient design of their devices such as integrated circuit, flexible displays, and transparent electrodes. In this work, atomistic simulations have been performed to investigate thermal transport at interfaces of CNT and graphene that are typically encountered in their applications, e.g., CNT-CNT junctions on silicon oxide substrate, interfaces between shells of double-wall CNTs (DWNTs), and graphene-metal interfaces. Firstly, heat dissipation at CNT junctions supported on the silicon dioxide substrate is investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and methods for phonon spectrum analysis. The results show the inefficient heat removal from CNTs not making direct contact with the oxide substrate is responsible for the breakdown of CNT network. At interfaces between shells of DWNTs, the radial vibration modes are identified as phonons that are strongly coupled and can efficiently exchange energy between shells of DWNTs. Secondly, the thermal conductivity of suspended single layer graphene (SLG) and SLG supported on Cu is determined using equilibrium MD simulations following Green-Kubo method and relaxation time approximation approach at room temperature. It is demonstrated that the interaction with Cu substrate can significantly reduce the thermal conductivity of SLG, and that the reduction of thermal conductivity from three acoustic phonons is the major reason. Lastly, using atomistic Green’s function method and density function theory calculations, the thermal boundary conductance at interfaces across graphene layers sandwiched by different metals including Cu, Au, and Ti is predicted. The work shows how the bonding strength changes the graphene/metal and graphene/graphene phonon coupling, and demonstrated the transition of thermal transport mechanism from metal/graphene dominated resistance to graphene/graphene dominated resistance as the metal/graphene bonding strength increases in metal/MLG/metal structure.

The aim of this work is to provide a mathematical and numerical analysis of the static quasicontinuum (QC) method. The QC method is, in essence, a finite element method for atomistic material models. By restricting the set of admissible deformations to linear splines with respect to a finite element mesh, the computational complexity of atomistic material models is reduced considerably. We begin with a general review of atomistic material models and the QC method and, most importantly, a thorough discussion of the correct concept of static equilibrium. For example, it is shown that, in contrast to global energy minimization, a ‘dynamic’ selection procedure based on gradient flows models the physically correct behaviour. Next, an atomistic model with long-range Lennard–Jones type interactions is analyzed in one dimension. A rigorous demonstration is given for the existence and stability of elastic as well as fractured steady states, and it is shown that they can be approximated by a QC method if the mesh is sufficiently well adapted to the exact solution; this can be measured by the interpolation error. While the a priori error analysis is an important theoretical step for understanding the approximation properties of the QC method, it is in general unclear how to compute the QC deformation whose existence is guaranteed by the a priori analysis. An a posteriori analysis is therefore performed as well. It is shown that, if a computed QC deformation is stable and has a sufficiently small residual, then there exists a nearby exact solution and the error is estimated. This a posteriori existence idea is also analyzed in an abstract setting. Finally, extensions of the ideas to higher dimensions are investigated in detail.

The aim of this work has been to use atomistic computer simulation methods to calculate the thermal conductivity and investigate factors that will modify the behaviour when applied to three different oxide materials: MgO, SiO2 and SrTiO3. These were chosen as they represent distinct classes of materials and are substrates for thermoelectric devices, where one of the primary goals is to tailor the system to reduce the thermal conductivity. Chapter 1 introduces thermoelectric concepts, gives a background of the theory and a review of various important thermoelectric materials. In Chapter 2 an overview of the interatomic interactions is presented along with details on the implementation of these interactions in a simulation of a 3D periodic crystal. Chapter 3 outlines the importance of phonon processes in crystals and several approaches to the calculation of thermal conductivity are presented. MgO results are given in Chapter 4. Both the Green-Kubo and Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) methods of calculating thermal conductivity were used. The effect on thermal conductivity of two different grain boundary systems are then compared and finally extended to MgO nanostructures, thus identifying the role of surfaces and complex nanostructure architectures on thermal conductivity. In Chapter 5 two different materials with the formula unit SiO2 are considered. The two materials are quartz and silicalite which show interesting negative thermal expansion behaviour which may impact upon the thermal transport within the material. Chapter 6 presents results on the promising thermoelectric material STO. Once again the results from both Green-Kubo and BTE calculations are compared. Grain boundaries are also studied and the effect of inter-boundary distance and boundary type on the thermal conductivity is explored. Finally, a nanostructured STO system (assembled nanocubes) with promising thermoelectric applications is studied. Chapter 7 outlines the conclusions made from this work and suggests areas for future study.

Fast oxide-ion and proton conductors are the subject of considerable research due to their technological applications in sensors, ceramic membranes and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). This thesis describes the use of computer modelling techniques to study point defects, dopants and clustering effects in fluorite-and perovskitetype ion conductors with potential SOFC applications. Bi2O3 related phases are being developed with the objective of high oxide-ion conductivities at lower operating temperatures than 1000°C, as in current generation SOFC electrolytes. Doped Bi2O3 phases have shown promise as materials capable of accomplishing this goal. First, the Y-doped phase, Bi3YO6, has been investigated including the ordering of intrinsic vacancies. The defect and dopant characteristics of Bi3YO6 have been examined and show that a highly mobile oxygen sub-lattice exists in this material. A preliminary structural modelling study of a new Re-doped Bi2O3 phase was also undertaken. A comprehensive investigation of the proton-conducting perovskites BaZrO3, BaPrO3 and BaThO3 is then presented. Our results suggest that intrinsic atomic disorder in BaZrO3 and BaThO3 is unlikely, but reduction of Pr4+ in BaPrO3 is favourable. The water incorporation energy is found to be less exothermic for BaZrO3 than for BaPrO3 and BaThO3, but in all cases the results suggest that the proton concentration would decrease with increasing temperature, in accord with experimental data. The high binding energies for all the dopant-OH pair clusters in BaPrO3 and BaThO3 suggest strong proton trapping effects. Finally, a study of multiferroic BiFeO3 is presented, in which the defect, dopant and migration properties of this highly topical phase are investigated. The reduction process involving the formation of oxygen vacancies and Fe2+ is the most favourable redox process. In addition, the results suggest that oxide-ion migration is anisotropic within this system.

No description available.

It is a well-known fact in the materials science community that the use of low-energy atom impacts during thin film deposition is an effective tool for altering the growth behavior and for increasing the crystallinity of the films. However, the manner in which the incident atoms affect the growth kinetics and surface morphology is quite complicated and still not fully understood. This provides a strong incentive for further investigations of the interaction among incident atoms and surface atoms on the atomic scale. These impact-induced energetic events are non-equilibrium, transient processes which complete in picoseconds. The only accessible technique today which permits direct observation of these events is molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. This thesis deals with MD simulations of low-energy atom impact phenomena on metal surfaces during crystal growth. Platinum is chosen as a model system given that it has seen extended use as a model surface over the past few decades, both in experiments and simulations. In MD, the classical equations of motion are solved numerically for a set of interacting atoms. The atomic interactions are calculated using the embedded atom method (EAM). The EAM is a semi-empirical, pair-functional interatomic potential based on density functional theory. This potential provides a physical picture that includes many-atom effects while retaining computational efficiency needed for larger systems. Single adatoms residing on a surface constitute the smallest possible clusters and are the fundamental components controlling nucleation kinetics. Small two-dimensional clusters on a surface are the result of nucleation and are present during the early stages of growth. These surface structures are chosen as targets in the simulations (papers I and II) to provide further knowledge of the atomistic processes which occur during deposition, to investigate at which impact energies the different kinetic pathways open up, and how they may affect growth behavior. Some of the events observed are adatom scattering, dimer formation, cluster disruption, formation of three-dimensional clusters, and residual vacancy formation. Given the knowledge obtained, papers III and IV deal with growth of several layers with the aim to study the underlying mechanisms responsible for altering growth behavior and how the overall intra- and interlayer atomic migration can be controlled by low-energy atom impacts. / <p>On the day of the defence date the status of article II was Accepted.</p>

Submitted by Rosivalda Pereira (mrs.pereira@ufma.br) on 2017-06-02T21:28:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 EduardoDiniz.pdf: 974608 bytes, checksum: 134920c92050dd5dee6af94ec24287a3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-02T21:28:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EduardoDiniz.pdf: 974608 bytes, checksum: 134920c92050dd5dee6af94ec24287a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-02-22 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Maranhão (FAPEMA) / In this work static atomistic simulations were performed to investigate two systems: rare-earth trifluorides, REF3, with tysonite structure (RE = La, Ce, Pr and Nd) and rare-earth mixed metallic oxides, RE(TiTa)O6, with RE = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Y, Er and Yb. In the rare-earth trifluorides was investigated the pressure induced structural phase transition identified by X-ray powder difraction in RE = La and Ce. The results shown that the crystalline structure is possibly tetragonal, in concordance with quantum mechanical calculations. For this, an interionic potential set that describes better the structural data of each compound and the physical observable was obtained. Besides, it was observed that critical pressure values were closed. The study involving the rare-earth mixed metallic oxides was focused in determining their bulk and structural properties. Thus, firstly a set of reliable interionic potentials was looked for to reproduce the crystalline structure and the physical observable, trough the investigation of three methodologies for obtaining interionic potentials, assuming the methodology that reproduces more reliable the dielectric constants. Furthermore, others bulk properties as lattice energy formation, elastic constants and bulk modulii were calculated. All then shown a rare-earth ionic radii dependence that revealed the morphotropic phase boundary between aeschynite and euxenite crystalline structures presented by these crystals. / Neste trabalho foram empregadas simulações atomistícas estáticas para se investigar dois sistemas: trifluoretos de terra-rara, REF3, com estrutura tisonita (RE = La, Ce, Pr e Nd) e óxidos metálicos mistos de terras-raras, RE(TiTa)O6, com RE = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Y, Er e Yb. Nos trifuoretos de terra-rara foi investigada a transição de fase estrutural que ocorre para altas pressões identificada por difração de raios-X em pó para RE = La e Ce. Os resultados mostraram que a estruturas cristalinas à altas pressões são possivelmente tetragonais, concordando com os resultados obtidos por cálculos quânticos. Para tanto, obtivemos um conjunto de potenciais interiônicos que proporcionassem uma descrição confiável da estrutura cristalina de cada composto, bem como o cálculo de observáveis físicos que produzissem valores próximos aos observados experimentalmente. O estudo envolvendo os óxidos metálicos mistos de terras-raras, dedicou-se em determinar suas propriedades de bulk e estruturais. Para isso, primeiramente obtivemos um conjunto de potenciais interiônicos confiáveis para se reproduzir a estrutura cristalina e os observáveis físicos, através da investigação de três metodologias para a obtenção de potenciais interiônicos, optando-se por aquela que melhor reproduziu as constantes dielétricas. Além da constante dielétrica, outros observáveis como a energia de formação da rede, constantes elásticas e módulo de bulk, foram calculados. Todos apresentaram uma dependência com o raio iônico do íon terra-rara que evidenciou o contorno de fase morfotrópico entre as estruturas aeschinita e euxenita apresentada por estes compostos.

Submitted by Rosivalda Pereira (mrs.pereira@ufma.br) on 2017-06-06T17:35:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 EdsonFirmino.pdf: 1970355 bytes, checksum: d3777c3685602b1f299f41ead9f30f1f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-06T17:35:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EdsonFirmino.pdf: 1970355 bytes, checksum: d3777c3685602b1f299f41ead9f30f1f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-02-16 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Maranhão (FAPEMA) / In this work we have performed static atomistic simulations to investigate the structural and bulk properties of the complex double perovskites with rock-salt ordering with the Ba2BiM+5O6 stoichiometry, where M+5 = Ta5+, Sb5+ and Nb5+, under pressure changes. For this we have adopted a Buckingham potential model for the ionic interactions and the shell model in order to model the atomic polarizations. In the case of Ba2BiTaO6 and Ba2BiNbO6 compounds, we assumed potential parameters listed in the literature and in the case of Ba2BiSbO6 compound, new potential parameters for the Sb5+¡O interaction were founded. The results observed with theses potentials for the cases of Ba2BiTaO6 and Ba2BiSbO6 materials, shown that the potential sets are sensitive to the structural phase transition observed experimentally between the phases R¹3 and I2=m at high pressures. Thus it was possible to de ne the critical pressure for Ba2BiSbO6. Some elastic and mechanical properties of these materials had been calculated and had shown these transitions clearly, where it was observed the Young's modulus collapse at the critical pressure and discontinuities in the shear modulus and in the longitudinal and transversal sound propagation speeds. The elastic constants had not presented collapse and the volume practically did not change at the transition, what as expected from the experimental results. For the case of Ba2BiNbO6 material, once that there are not experimental results, the aim was to predict their structural characteristics. There were tested four potential sets presented in the literature using as input initial cell parameters data generated by the SPUDS software. Two of these potential sets exhibited the same phase transition that Ba2BiTaO6 and Ba2BiSbO6 present. / Neste trabalho foram empregadas simulações atomísticas estáticas para investigar as propriedades estruturais e de bulk das perovskitas complexas duplas com ordenamento do tipo NaCl com a estequiometria Ba2BiM5+O6, onde M5+ = Ta5+, Sb5+ e Nb5+ sob varia ção de pressão. Para tanto assumimos um modelo de potencial de Buckingham para as interações entre os íons e o modelo de casca esférica para tratar as polarizações dos átomos. No caso dos compostos Ba2BiTaO6 e Ba2BiNbO6 potenciais adotados da literatura foram empregados e para o Ba2BiSbO6, o potencial para a interação Sb5+¡O foi encontrado. Os resultados obtidos com os potenciais para os casos do Ba2BiTaO6 e Ba2BiSbO6, mostraram que ambos são sensíveis à transição de fase estrutural observada experimentalmente entre as fases R¹3 e I2=m que ocorre para altas pressões, de nindo o ponto de transição para o Ba2BiSbO6. Algumas propriedades elásticas e mecânicas destes compostos foram calculadas e mostraram claramente esta transição, onde foi observado o colapso do módulo de Young na pressão crítica e descontinuidades no módulo de cisalhamento e nas velocidades, longitudinal e transversal, de propagação do som dos compostos. As componentes das constantes elásticas não apresentaram colapsos, e o volume praticamente não variou na transição, o que era esperado dos resultados experimentais, implicando em um módulo de bulk praticamente contínuo na transição. Já no caso do Ba2BiNbO6, como não se dispunha de resultados experimentais, o principal objetivo foi predizer suas características estruturais. Testou-se quatro conjuntos de potenciais encontrados na literatura utilizando-se como dados iniciais os parâmetros de rede e posições atômicas gerados pelo software SPUDS. Dois destes conjuntos de potenciais mostraram a mesma transição de fase que o Ba2BiTaO6 e Ba2BiSbO6.

In 2005, Park et al. demonstrated that the 2-fold surface of a d-AlNiCo quasicrystal exhibits an 8-fold frictional anisotropy, as measured by atomic-force microscopy, between the periodic and aperiodic directions [40, 41]. It has been well known that quasicrystals exhibit lower friction than their crystalline counterparts [38, 18, 51, 30, 12, 54]; however, the discovery of the frictional anisotropy allows for a unique opportunity to study the effect of periodicity on friction when chemical composition, oxidation, and wear are no longer variables. The work presented herein is focused on obtaining an understanding of the mechanisms of friction and the dependence of friction on the periodicity of a structure at the atomic level, focusing on the d-AlNiCo quasicrystal studied by Park et al. Using the LAMMPS [44] package to simulate the compression and sliding of an 'adamant' tip, see section 3.3, on a d-AlNiCo quasicrystalline approximant substrate, we have demonstrated, in preliminary results, an 8-fold frictional anisotropy, but in more careful studies the anisotropy is found to be much smaller. The simulations were accomplished using Widom-Moriarty pair potentials to define the interactions between the atoms [36, 56, 55, 9]. The studies presented in this work have shown a clear velocity dependence on the measured frictional response of the quasicrystalline approximant's surface. The final results show between a 1.026-fold and 1.127-fold anisotropy between sliding in the periodic and 'aperiodic' directions, depending on the sliding velocity.