Dislocation bias and point-defect relaxation volumes

Abstract

In the theory of irradiation swelling, a convenient measure of the preference for interstitial absorption at a dislocation is the bias, B, which depends on the energies of interaction of vacancies and interstitials with a dislocation. These energies in turn depend on the relaxation volume of each point defect Δυ. Furthermore, bias is a function of dislocation density. Using recently computed values for Δυ i and Δυ i, over the range of dislocation density from 10 9/cm 2 to 10 11/cm 2, the bias in copper ranges from 0.07 to 0.12 and that in nickel from 0.30 to 0.41. Criticism by Green and Weertman of a previous paper is shown to be invalid.