Nanocrystalline structure and strain in magnesium under extreme dynamic compression

The study of materials behavior under extreme conditions is fundamental to science and modern technology. Fast ramp compression is a unique method for exploring materials behavior and phase transformations under extreme conditions. One unexplored feature of this method is the nanoscale structure of the material under dynamic compression. This leaves a gap in understanding the details of phase transformations under fast ramp compression. Here, we made a first step in the exploration by applying the Williamson-Hall (WH) analysis to X-ray diffraction data (XRD) measured in magnesium subjected to fast ramp compression at four pressures. We found that at $P = 309 GPa$ magnesium in bcc-like phase has an average crystalline size $D = (2.2 \pm 0.7) nm$ and microstrain $\varepsilon = (-0.011 \pm 0.007)$. At $P = 409 GPa$, magnesium demonstrates $D = (4.5 \pm 3) nm$ with $\varepsilon = (-0.003 \pm 0.007)$. At $P = 563 GPa$, Fmmm magnesium has crystalline size $D = (2.6 \pm 0.5) nm$ with microstrain $\varepsilon = (-0.004 \pm 0.004)$. At $P = 959 GPa$, we revealed that sh-magnesium exhibits average size of $D > 12 nm$ and relatively high value of microstrain $\varepsilon = (0.011 \pm 0.002)$. In the result, we report the first microstructural evolution insights of magnesium under fast ramp compression.