Orientation distribution functions for microstructures of heterogeneous materials. I: Directional distribution functions and irreducible tensors (Q5959149)

The Fourier expansions with irreducible tensorial coefficients for orientation distribution functions (ODF) and crystal orientation distribution functions (CODF) are shown to play a dominant role in various micromechanically-based approaches to mechanical and physical properties of heterogeneous materials. ODF and CODF are scalar functions on the unit sphere corresponding to the rotation group. ODF can be expanded as an absolutely convergent Fourier series in spherical harmonics. The last ones are expressed in terms of irreducible tensors which characterize the macroscopic effect of orientation distributions of the size, shape, phase and position of material constituents and defects. In part II the authors give explicit irreducible tensorial expansions of CODF [see the following entry].