structural relaxation

Structural relaxation refers to the process by which materials, particularly solids, adjust their internal structure to reach a state of lower energy after being disturbed, such as through heating, mechanical stress, or the transition from a liquid to a solid. During this process, atoms or molecules rearrange, allowing the material to settle into a more stable configuration. This phenomenon is important in fields like materials science and engineering because it affects the properties and performance of materials, such as their strength, durability, and stability under different conditions.