Structure inhomogeneity of rolled textured niobium

The use of a position-sensitive detector in X-ray texture measurements, app lied to a cold-rolled Nb foil, allowed to construct the pole figures for va rious parameters of X-ray line profile, among which there are integral inte nsity, physical broadening and peak position, as well as the pole figures f or the rate of intensity recovery. The distribution of residual deformation effects in the textured material is characterized by an extreme inhomogene ity, manifesting itself by an increase of physical broadening and the recov ery rate as the crystallographic orientation of the reflecting grains moves from a texture maximum to a neighbouring texture minimum. The distribution s of peak positions exhibit a cross-wise arrangement, where quadrants of pr edominant extension alternate with quadrants of predominant contraction, re sulting in the mutual balance of extending and contracting elastic microstr esses. The observed variations of physical broadening and peak position cor respond to the whole range of possible deformation effects within the rolle d metal, testifying its composite structure. A number of models are propose d to explain the development of structure inhomogeneity in deformed polycry stals.