Double kink mechanisms for discrete dislocations in BCC crystals

We present an application of the discrete dislocation theory to the characterization of the energetics of kinks in Mo, Ta and W body-centered cubic (BCC) crystals. The discrete dislocation calculations supply detailed predictions of formation and interaction energies for various double-kink formation and spreading mechanisms as a function of the geometry of the double kinks, including: the dependence of the formation energy of a double kink on its width; the energy of formation of a double kink on a screw dislocation containing a pre-existing double kink; and energy of formation of a double kink on a screw dislocation containing a pre-existing single kink. The computed interaction energies are expected to facilitates the nucleation of double kinks in close proximity to each other and to pre-existing kinks, thus promoting clustering of double kinks on screw segments and of ‘daughter’ double kinks ahead of ‘mother’ kinks. The predictions of the discrete dislocation theory are found to be in good agreement with the full atomistic calculations based on empirical interatomic potentials available in the literature.