An improved formula was derived for the mean number of thermal and geometrical kinks on dislocation segments, under the action of an homogeneous applied shear stress. It was shown that a change in the temperature-dependence of the number of kink pairs, from the low-temperature (exp[-2H/kT]) law to the high-temperature (exp[-H/kT]) law, depended upon the dislocation segment length, the number of geometrical kinks and the applied stress; where H was the formation energy of an isolated kink. The mean dislocation velocity, which determined the relaxation time, exhibited a similar temperature dependence.

Recent Progress in the Theory of Bordoni-Type Relaxation Processes. W.Ulfert, A.Seeger: Journal de Physique IV, 1996, 6[8], 207-10