Atomistic simulation study on the local strain fields around an extended edge dislocation in copper

Abstract

The local strain fields around an extended edge dislocation in copper are studied via the quasicontinuum multiscale simulation method combined with the virial strain calculation techniques. Results show that in the regions, tens of nanometers away from the dislocation, atoms are experiencing infinitesimal strain; virial strain calculation results are consistent with the predictions from elastic theory very well. In the regions near the dislocation, the virial strain fields can outline the core areas of Shockley partial dislocations precisely, which are in the shape of ellipse with a longer axis 7b1 and a shorter axis 3b1, where b1 is the length of burgers vector of the partial dislocation.