| dc.description.abstract | The dynamics of grain boundaries in two-dimensional colloidal crystals are closely
related to the geometry of the boundary and the misorientation between two grains.
Previous experimental research has shown that artificial loop-shaped grain boundaries
show characteristic particle displacement patterns and dislocation movements. In this
thesis we present Brownian dynamics simulations on similar, larger systems which
show identical microscopic behaviour. We show how we can explain these observations
using a novel interpretation of O-lattice theory, based solely on the geometry of the
two grains, and how we can extends this theory to help predict particle displacements
and dislocation movements during grain boundary loop shrinkage specifically, and
arbitrarily-shaped grain boundaries in general. | |
