A new formulation was derived for the equation of motion of interacting dislocations. From this solution, it was shown that additional coupling forces of kinetic and inertial origin should be considered in performing dislocation dynamics simulations at high strain-rates. An heuristic modification of this general equation of motion permitted the introduction of retardation into the inertial and elastic forces; in accordance with a progressive rearrangement of fields via wave propagation. The influence of the corresponding coupling terms and retardation effects was illustrated in the case of dislocation dipolar interaction and co-planar annihilation. A comparison was also made between the modified equation of motion and a precise numerical solution which was based upon the Peierls-Nabarro-Galerkin method. Good agreement was found between the Peierls-Nabarro-Galerkin method and the equation of motion; including retardation effects for a dipolar interaction. For co-planar annihilation, it was demonstrated that an unexpected mechanism, which involved a complex inter-play between the dislocation cores and kinetics energies, permitted re-nucleation from the completely annihilated dislocations. A description of this phenomenon was proposed that could break the most favourable reaction between dislocations.

Inertial and Retardation Effects for Dislocation Interactions. L.Pillon, C.Denoual: Philosophical Magazine, 2009, 89[2], 127-41