Phase field model of deformation twinning in tantalum: Parameterization via molecular dynamics

We present a phase field model to simulate the microstructure evolution during deformation twinning in tantalum. An order parameter, proportional to the shear strain, is employed to monitor the twinning process. The evolution of the order parameter is governed by a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation, the parameters of which are determined by molecular dynamics with a model-generalized pseudopotential-theory potential. The twinning process is studied under a number of deformation conditions, and compared with the molecular dynamics counterpart. (C) 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.