Kinetics of self-interstitial cluster aggregation near dislocations and their influence on hardening

Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) computer simulations are performed to determine the kinetics of SIA cluster ‘clouds’ in the vicinity of edge dislocations. The simulations include elastic interactions amongst SIA clusters, and between clusters and dislocations. Results of KMC simulations that describe the formation of ‘SIA clouds’ during neutron irradiation of bcc Fe and the corresponding evolution kinetics are presented, and the size and spatial distribution of SIA clusters in the cloud region are studied for a variety of neutron displacement damage dose levels. We then investigate the collective spatio-temporal dynamics of SIA clusters in the presence of internal elastic fields generated by static and mobile dislocations. The main features of the investigations are: (1) determination of the kinetics and spatial extent of defect clouds near static dislocations; (2) assessment of the influence of localized patches of SIA clouds on the pinning–depinning motion of dislocations in irradiated materials; and (3) estimation of the radiation hardening effects of SIA clusters. The critical stress to unlock dislocations from self-interstitial atom (SIA) cluster atmospheres and the reduced dislocation mobility associated with cluster drag by gliding dislocations are determined.