Numerical simulation of fibre growth in antitaxial strain fringes
A two-dimensional computer model (‘Fringe Growth’) is used to simulate the incremental growth of crystal fibres in undeformed antitaxial strain fringes. The user can define the shape of a core-object (e.g. a pyrite crystal), the growth velocity and anisotropy of growing crystals, the rotation of fringes and core-object with respect to a horizontal datum and with respect to each other, and the opening velocity of fringes. Growth is simulated by movement of nodes connecting line segments that define the grain boundaries. Modelling results predict that face-controlled strain fringes will grow around smooth core-objects and strain fringes with displacement-controlled and face-controlled fibres …
Development of crystal morphology during unitaxial growth in a progressively widening vein: II. Numerical simulations of the evolution of antitaxial fibrous veins
The development of fibrous morphology and capability of fibres for tracking the opening trajectory were investigated using numerical simulations of a natural antitaxial fibrous vein. Starting from a non-unique best case, variation of fracture opening velocity, grain size, wall roughness, growth anisotropy and crystal growth velocity shows that these parameters differ in importance for crystal morphology and tracking capability. Fibrous veins can be simulated using crack–seal opening of the fracture. Grain boundaries track the opening trajectory if the wall roughness is high, opening increments are small and crystals touch the wall before the next crack increment starts.