Abstract:
Linear anisotropic elasticity has been applied to interpret the dislocation stability and ease of slip in wadsleyite. It is shown that wadsleyite is very isotropic from the elastic point of view. The influence of crystal chemistry and bonding on the choice of the slip plane is discussed. It is shown that slip is predominantly achieved on planes that do not shear Si-O bonds. It is suggested that dissociation of dislocations is essential in determining the ease of slip among the various slip systems.
