A numerical technique was developed for studying the generation, equilibrium and energy of curved dislocations in a non-uniform stress field. The finite-segment method involved approximating a dislocation line by a series of straight dislocation segments. Equilibrium was established on the basis of the minimization of the system energy. The method was applied to several cases of interest, including the Orowan bow-out mechanism and dislocation equilibration at misfitting particles and crack tips.

Finite Segment Method for Dislocation Mechanics X.J.Xin, R.H.Wagoner, G.S.Daehn: Scripta Materialia, 1998, 39[4-5], 397-407