Long-Range Order in the Dislocation Structure of Martensite Crystals

Abstract

Optimal estimation of the diffraction observations over the object reliably detects periodicity in the dislocation structure of martensitic transformation as an exhibition of its wave nature. The period along normal to the slip planes is comparable with the radius of dislocation loops in crystals. The measured degree of one-dimensional long-range order in the arrangement of the loops is close to the upper limit equal to unity. Subject to the theory of metals, the observed structure could be generated by quantum lattice vibrations, which actuate a jump-like phase transition. A simple explanation exists: after a sharp fall in temperature, the excess energy of conduction electrons causes the crystal to expand instantly with the transformation of translational symmetry. Internal shifts of the crystal lattice caused by electron-phonon interactions concurrently trigger the wave process of formation of thin martensitic plates in the surrounding matrix, which are observed in metallography. Based on an in-depth analysis of the dislocation structure of martensite crystals, a physically founded concept is advanced in which the martensitic transformation is a macroscopic quantum phenomenon connected with the symmetry properties of a crystal system in metals.