Introduction to Mass Transport in Solids

Abstract

This chapter aims first to outline the basic features of the theory of transport in solids and the relationship between macroscopic transport coefficients and atomistic migration mechanisms. Secondly we shall provide the necessary background in defect physics, giving emphasis, however, to areas where there have been notable theoretical developments in recent years. Our survey will look forward to the more detailed theoretical surveys of Lidiard (Chapter 3) and Wolf (Chapter 7), and to the summaries of experimental work, particularly that of Jacobs (Chapter 4) on ionic materials. We stress, as in later chapters, interpretation of experimental data at an atomistic level, which indeed is a major theme of this book, and we aim to show the importance in transport studies of the concerted use of several techniques including both theoretical and experimental methods.