Grain-boundary grooving was studied on the polished surfaces of polycrystalline samples which had been annealed at 1350C. Atomic force microscopic images were obtained from the same area, for each groove, after various annealing times. Secondary oscillations next to the main groove maxima, as predicted by surface diffusion theory, were observed; apparently for the first time. The agreement between experimental and calculated groove profiles (using the Mullins surface diffusion model) improved when grain-boundary fluxes were taken into account.

Experimental and Simulated Grain Boundary Groove Profiles in Tungsten. P.Sachenko, J.H.Schneibel, J.G.Swadener, W.Zhang: Philosophical Magazine Letters, 2000, 80[9], 627-31