A unified framework was presented for the calculation of dislocation-based defect energetics. The approach was validated by considering the self and interaction energies of combinations of grain boundaries and cracks. Well-known quantities, such as the energy of a low-angle tilt boundary, were obtained in a straightforward manner. Also found were lesser-known results, including boundary/boundary and crack/boundary interaction energies, using a common formalism based upon linear elasticity. This approach, combined with dimensional analysis, permitted the rapid calculation of defect energetics.

Unified Framework for Dislocation-Based Defect Energetics. J.M.Rickman, J.Viñals, R.Lesar: Philosophical Magazine, 2005, 85[9], 917-29