The fundamental dislocation processes of glide, climb, and annihilation were studied on diffusive time scales within the framework of a continuum field theory, the phase field crystal model. Glide and climb were examined for single edge dislocations subjected to shear and compressive strain, respectively, in a 2-dimensional hexagonal lattice. It was shown that the natural features of these processes were reproduced without any explicit consideration of elasticity theory or ad hoc construction of microscopic Peierls potentials. Particular attention was paid to the Peierls barrier for dislocation glide or climb and the ensuing dynamic behavior as functions of strain rate, temperature, and dislocation density. It was shown that the dynamics were accurately described by simple viscous motion equations for an over-damped point mass, where the dislocation mobility was the only adjustable parameter. The critical distance for the annihilation of two edge dislocations as a function of separation angle was also presented.

Diffusive Atomistic Dynamics of Edge Dislocations in Two Dimensions. J.Berry, M.Grant, K.R.Elder: Physical Review E, 2006, 73[3], 031609 (12pp)