Microstructural evolution in elastically inhomogeneous systems

I am very happy to be part of iMechanica, and what best way to start than post some stuff that I have been doing recently. I received my PhD for a thesis I submitted to the Department of Materials Engineering (formerly Department of Metallurgy), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 INDIA titled Elastic Inhomgeneity Effects on microstructures: a phase field study.

A mismatch in elastic moduli is the primary driving force for certain microstructural changes; for example, such a mismatch can result in rafting, phase inversion, and thin film instability.

My thesis is based on a phase field model, which is developed for the study of microstructural evolution in elastically inhomogeneous systems which evolve under prescribed traction boundary conditions; however, we show that it is also capable of simulating systems which are evolving under prescribed displacements.

The (iterative) Fourier based methodology that we adopt for the solution of the equation of mechanical equilibrium is characterised by comparing our numerical elastic solutions with corresponding analytical sharp interface results; in addition to being accurate, this solution methodology is also very efficient. We integrate this solution methodology into our phase field model, to study microstructural evolution in systems with dilatational misfit.

As time goes by, I am planning to post some of our results on rafting, elastic stress driven phase inversion, and instabilities in thin film assemblies, as well as the code used to generate these results. In the meanwhile, I am publishing the first three chapters of my thesis (along with the corresponding appendices, and references). Your comments and/or suggestions are very welcome.