Thermal gradient migration of brine inclusions in synthetic alkali halide single crystals

An apparatus consisting of an optical microscope with a hot stage attachment capable of simultaneously nonuniformly heating and mechanically loading small single crystals of salt was used to measure the velocities of all-liquid inclusions NaC1 and KC1 specimens under various conditions of temperature, temperature gradient, and uniaxial stress. The rate-controlling elementary step in the migration of the inclusions was found to be associated with interfacial processes, probably dissolution of the hot face. Dislocations are required for this step to take place. The small number of dislocation intersections with small inclusions in nearly perfect crystals causes substantial variations in the velocity, a sensitivity of the velocity to mechanical loading of the crystal, and a velocity which varies approximately as the second power of the temperature gradient.