Radiation-damage events in MgO were studied at experimental time-scales by supplementing molecular dynamics cascade simulations with temperature-accelerated dynamics, molecular statics and density functional theory. At 400eV, vacancies and mono- and di-interstitials formed, but often annihilated within ms. At 2 and 5keV, larger clusters could form and persist. While vacancies were immobile, interstitials aggregated into clusters (In) with odd properties. For instance, an I4 was immobile but an impinging I2 could create a metastable I6 that diffused at the ns time-scale but was stable for years.

Structure and Mobility of Defects Formed from Collision Cascades in MgO. B.P.Uberuaga, R.Smith, A.R.Cleave, F.Montalenti, G.Henkelman, R.W.Grimes, A.F.Voter, K.E.Sickafus: Physical Review Letters, 2004, 92[11], 115505 (3pp)