Britannica AI Icon

penetration twin

crystallography

Quick Summary

In crystallography, a penetration twin is a type of crystal intergrowth where two or more crystals appear to pass through each other. These crystals are joined along a complex surface, and their atomic structures have different orientations but share common planes or directions.12

Penetration twins often share the center of their axial systems, giving them a unique, sometimes starlike or crosslike appearance. This type of twinning can occur from the very beginning of crystal growth.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. penetration twin
  2. twinning

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.