The flow stresses, and the development of dislocation structures which accompanied the deformation of radiation-hardened layered crystals on a single system of crystallographic planes, were studied experimentally. It was found that, for a given ratio of the transverse dimensions of the irradiated and non-irradiated regions, the yield point of a sample was a linear function of the irradiation time. For a given irradiation time, it increased linearly with the size of the irradiated zone. Plastic deformation in layered crystals occurred via the nucleation and development of slip bands in so-called soft regions; followed by penetration into so-called hard regions. As screw dislocations moved to the boundary, their density in the irradiated region sharply increased. In edge slip bands, the dislocation etch pit densities were approximately the same in different regions.

B.I.Smirnov, T.S.Orlova: Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 1996, 38[8], 2431-7 (Physics of the Solid State, 1996, 38[8], 1336-9)