The kinetics of point defects, modeled by centers of dilatation, in a linear elastic solid were investigated. With regard to rearrangements leading to energetically preferred equilibrium configurations, the evolution of simple model microstructures was simulated numerically. The method was based upon an explicit representation of the generalized (thermodynamic) force on each defect, and an equation for incremental changes in defect location in response to this force. The effect of finite boundaries and defect interactions, due to image fields, was accounted for by combining closed-form solutions for defect-induced fields (in an unbounded domain) with a numerically solved auxiliary boundary-value problem. When controlled only by the interaction of defects, the equilibrium configurations reflected the geometrical symmetries of the problem.

Modeling Microstructural Evolution by Rearranging Point Defects in Elastic Media. T.Seelig, N.Broedling, D.Gross: International Journal of Engineering Science, 2004, 42[3-4], 339-51