Materials Science Research Lecture

***Refreshments at 3:45pm in Noyes lobby

Abstract:

Over the past two decades, modern synchrotron x-ray characterization techniques have revolutionized contemporary materials science. Researchers can now watch three-dimensional (3D) microstructures evolve under environmental stimuli in situ and across several orders of magnitude in length scale. These capabilities have opened new doors into our understanding of structural, functional, and geological materials via direct observation. This talk will introduce the next generation of x-ray diffraction microstructure imaging techniques, which brings 3D strain and orientation mapping to spatial resolutions on the order of 100 nm. The result is a "zoom in/zoom out" capability that allows researchers to directly observe subgrain-scale deformation in 3D and within the context of the larger grain network. This talk will explore a few emerging techniques and their applications to plasticity, deformation twinning, and reversible martensitic phase transformations in metallic materials.

More about the Speaker:

Ashley Bucsek is an assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan with a courtesy appointment in Materials Science and Engineering. She earned her Ph.D. from the Colorado School of Mines and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Minnesota. Her work focuses on the development and application of three-dimensional x-ray diffraction imaging techniques to understand micromechanics and microstructure evolution in structural and functional materials. Her recognitions include an NSF CAREER award and an AFOSR Young Investigator Program award.