The topological current structure and the topological quantization of disclinations were considered within the 4-dimensional gauge field theory of dislocation and disclination continuum theory. By using implicit function theory and Taylor expansion, the origin and bifurcation of disclinations were detailed in the neighborhoods of limit points and bifurcation points, respectively. The branch solutions at the limit points, and the various directions of all of the branch curves at order-1 and order-2 degenerate points, were calculated. It was pointed out that an original disclination point could split into 4 disclinations, at most, at a given time. Because the disclination current was identically conserved, the total topological quantum numbers of the branched disclinations remained constant during their origin and bifurcation. It was clear that the origin and bifurcation of disclinations were sudden, rather than gradual, changes.

The Origin and Bifurcation of Disclinations in the Gauge Field Theory of Dislocation and Disclination Continuum. G.H.Yang, Y.Duan: International Journal of Modern Physics B, 1998, 12[25], 2599-617