Cluster dynamics models of irradiation damage accumulation in ferritic iron. II. Effects of reaction dimensionality
The black dot damage features which develop in iron at low temperatures exhibit significant mobility during in situ irradiation experiments via a series of discrete, intermittent, long range hops. By incorporating this mobility into cluster dynamics models, the temperature dependence of such damage structures can be explained with a surprising degree of accuracy. Such motion, however, is one dimensional in nature. This aspect of the physics has not been fully considered in prior models. This article describes one dimensional reaction kinetics in the context of cluster dynamics and applies them to the black dot problem. This allows both a more detailed description of the mechanisms by which defects execute irradiation-induced hops while allowing a full examination of the importance of kinetic assumptions in accurately assessing the development of this irradiation microstructure. Results are presented to demonstrate whether one dimensional diffusion alters the dependence of the defect population on factors such as temperature and defect hop length. Finally, the size of interstitial loops that develop is shown to depend on the extent of the reaction volumes between interstitial clusters, as well as the dimensionality of these interactions.