Invariant distributions and stationary correlation functions of simulated grain growth processes

Abstract

This paper first reviews and highlights a relatively large number of distributions and correlation functions that are characteristic for normal grain growth. Attention is then paid to the correlation between the average size of an n-sided grain and the average size of a grain next to an n-sided grain. Size correlations between neighbouring grains are examined using a nearest-neighbour Q=40 Potts model on a triangular 500×500 lattice. We show that few-sided grains tend to be surrounded by large grains, while the neighbours of six-sided grains are typically average-sized. The neighbours of many-sided grains tend to be somewhat smaller than an average-sized grain. This confirms the existence of spatial grain size correlations, which have previously been reproduced by the use of a fundamentally different simulation technique. Finally, the robustness of the stationary correlation functions is examined by incorporating artificial correlations into the starting pattern.