Dislocation dynamics simulations of the interaction between prismatic dipolar loops and a glide screw dislocation were presented. As a result of stress gradients generated by the glide dislocation, dipolar loops execute drift motion along their glide cylinders. Simulations of the combined motion of two dipolar loops in the stress field of a glide dislocation clearly showed that inter-loop forces were essential in determining their spatial trajectories. Under cyclic stress conditions, it was shown that same-type dipolar loops drift monotonically in the same direction, and that their spatial clustering was largely determined by strong inter-dipolar binding forces. The investigated sweeping mechanism was explained in terms of the requirements for the formation of persistent slip bands under fatigue loading conditions.

On the Sweeping Mechanism of Dipolar Dislocation Loops under Fatigue Conditions. J.Huang, N.M.Ghoniem, J.Kratochvíl: Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Technology, 2004, 12[5], 917-28