Rotation of such embedded crystals of small misorientation to a higher misorientation has been seen in molecular dynamics simulations. A variational model is proposed to determine the motion of the grain boundary and the concurrent rotation of the inner crystal.
Surface diffusion is included to allow for shape changes.
New techniques are devised in order to include surface diffusion in surface motion that is not volume-conserving, changes in misorientation, and possible slipping rather than exact coupling of grain growth to tangential shear.