The Peierls stress in a simple cubic lattice

Author(s)
Gunther Schöck
Abstract

Dislocations aligned along close-packed directions in a crystal lattice experience when moving periodic variations of their energy with the period of the lattice cell. This can be described in the framework of the Peierls model when the generalized stacking-fault energy in the glide plane - the gamma-surface - has been derived. The maximum energy variation is called the Peierls energy E(P). As consequence of these energy variations there exists also a finite stress - the Peierls stress sigma(P) - necessary to displace a straight dislocations over the distance of a lattice cell without the aid of thermal fluctuations. It is commonly assumed that these energy variations result from changes in the atomic misfit energy E(A) in the glide plane and as consequence sP is defined by the maximum gradient of E(A). This assumption is inconsistent, however. When the dislocation moves in isothermal thermodynamic equilibrium the width w of the dislocation changes during displacement. An increase in misfit energy E(A) by an increase in width w is overcompensated by a corresponding decrease in elastic energy E(el). As result the variation in total energy - the Peierls energy - will be smaller as compared to the situation where no structural relaxation occurs during the movement.

Organisation(s)
Physics of Nanostructured Materials
Journal
Physica Status Solidi. B: Basic Research
Volume
248
Pages
2284-2289
No. of pages
6
ISSN
0370-1972
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/pssb.201147081
Publication date
2011
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103018 Materials physics
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/the-peierls-stress-in-a-simple-cubic-lattice(af024fe2-39ff-4c7a-9e48-1cbdb10833bf).html