A method was described for the incorporation of dislocation climb controlled by bulk diffusion into a three-dimensional discrete dislocation dynamics simulation for face-centered cubic metals. In this model, vacancy diffusion theory was coupled to discrete dislocation dynamics in order to obtain the climb-rate of the dislocation segments. The capability of the model to reproduce the motion of climbing dislocations was tested by calculating several test-cases involving pure climb-related phenomena, and comparing the results with existing analytical predictions and experimental observations. As test-cases, discrete dislocation dynamics was used to study the activation of Bardeen-Herring sources by the application of an external stress, or vacancy supersaturation. Loop-shrinkage and expansion due to vacancy emission or absorption was shown to be well-described by the present model. In particular, the model quite naturally described the coarsening of a population of loops having differing sizes.

Introducing Dislocation Climb by Bulk Diffusion in Discrete Dislocation Dynamics. D.Mordehai, E.Clouet, M.Fivel, M.Verdier: Philosophical Magazine, 2008, 88[6], 899-925