Evolving Grain Boundaries in Deforming Rocks, Ceramics and Metals

This workshop is now accepting applications. Be sure to register by July 10, 2026. Click "Read More" to be able to open the registration link.

Evolving grain boundaries are key microstructural elements in polycrystalline materials, and pivotal in controlling dissolution-precipitation creep in rocks, cold sintering of ceramics, and thermal annealing of metals. Despite their significance, nm-wide grain boundaries are extraordinarily difficult to study, which leaves micromechanical models predicting their behavior poorly supported by direct observations. Novel synchrotron-radiation based methods have the potential to overcome this limitation, illuminating grain boundaries and their consequences for material evolution and behavior. To harness this potential and identify opportunities to advance our understanding of grain boundary evolution in polycrystalline materials, this workshop will bring together geo- and material scientists with experts in synchrotron-based techniques for studying structure and stress at microscopic scales. Through a carefully curated program of keynote presentations, short talks by expert researchers, cross-discipline breakout groups focused on guiding scientific questions and future opportunities, the workshop aims to facilitate

1. development of a forward-looking review article describing key challenges and opportunities across materials science, geosciences, and synchrotron sciences related to grain boundaries, and

2. new collaborations that lead to proposals to fund research or new initiatives related to all fields represented by participants.