Special topic volume

Energy, and especially its minimization, are factors which govern all physical processes. Given sufficient time and thermal activation, for instance, grain boundaries will move so as to tend towards a regular array of 14-sided grains. When a grain boundary intercepts a surface, the energies of the surface and boundary govern the precise form of the triple-point. Regions of mismatch within the solid, especially those associated with dislocations, interfere with dislocation cross-slip and thereby affect mechanical properties. The present volume comprises a compilation of measured values of the energies of various planar defects in solids: including grain boundaries, stacking-faults, twins, etc. for a wide range of material groups: metals, semiconductors, oxides, carbides, diamond, graphite, nitrides, halides, ice, and various minerals. The 451 entries cover the period from 1958 to 2014.