A series of molecular dynamics simulations was performed on a bicrystal to which a fixed shear rate was applied parallel to the boundary plane. Under some conditions, grain-boundary motion was coupled to the relative tangential motion of the two grains. In order to investigate the generality of this type of coupled shear/boundary motion, simulations were performed for both special (low Σ) and general (non-Σ) [010] tilt boundaries over a wide range of grain-boundary inclinations. The data pointed to the existence of two critical stresses: one for coupled shear/boundary motion and the other for grain-boundary sliding. For the non-Σ boundaries, the critical stress for coupled shear/boundary motion was typically smaller than that for sliding; coupled shear/boundary motion occurred for all inclinations. For Σ5 boundaries, for which the critical stress was smaller and depended upon the boundary inclination, coupled shear/boundary motion occurred for some, but not all, inclinations.

Effects of Boundary Inclination and Boundary Type on Shear-Driven Grain Boundary Migration. H.Zhang, D.Du, D.J.Srolovitz: Philosophical Magazine, 2008, 88[2], 243-56