Atomistic modelling of metals: Introduction and Applications

Atomistic simulation can provide kinetic and dynamical insight into the fundamental component processes underlying both mass-transport and plasticity within a solid. To directly extrapolate atomistic simulation results to the experimental time-scale is however difficult and remains a general challenge to the atomistic modelling community. This is particularly the case when performing simulations that investigate the plastic response of a material, where strain rates are generally 8-10 orders of magnitude faster than that seen in experiments. The present series of lectures gives an introduction to the basics of atomistic modelling methods and case-studies a number of examples that demonstrate both the power of the technique and its corresponding caveats.