The motion of point defects in solids

Abstract

Irreversible deformations in solids (plasticity and creep) are explained, within the framework of the theory of elasticity, by the motion of line and point defects which are always present in the structure of a solid. The dislocations and cracks are regarded as line defects, hole-type defects (vacancies, pores, and cavities), and inclusion-type defects (imbedded atoms, foreign particles, and protons) are regarded as point defects.