Kinetic Monte Carlo computer simulations were used to determine the kinetics of self-interstitial atom cluster clouds in the vicinity of edge dislocations. The simulations included elastic interactions between self-interstitial atom clusters, and between clusters and dislocations. Results were presented that described the formation of self-interstitial atom clouds during the neutron-irradiation of body-centered cubic Fe, and the corresponding evolution kinetics. The size and spatial distribution of self-interstitial atom clusters in the cloud region were studied for various neutron displacement damage dose-levels. The collective spatio-temporal dynamics of self-interstitial atom clusters in the presence of internal elastic fields generated by static and mobile dislocations were then investigated. The main results were the determination of the kinetics and spatial extent of defect clouds near to static dislocations, the assessment of the influence of localized patches of self-interstitial atom clouds upon the pinning–depinning motion of dislocations in irradiated materials and the estimation of the radiation hardening effects of self-interstitial atom clusters. The critical stress required to unlock dislocations from self-interstitial atom cluster atmospheres, and the reduced dislocation mobility associated with cluster-drag by gliding dislocations, were also determined.

Kinetics of Self-Interstitial Cluster Aggregation near Dislocations and their Influence on Hardening. M.Wen, A.Takahashi, N.M.Ghoniem: Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2009, 392[3], 386-95