The structure of small vacancy clusters in face-centred-cubic metals

Abstract
In face-centred-cubic metals it is possible to form four distinct types of close-packed trivacancy and 20 types of tetravacancy. The structures and energies of these clusters have been investigated using computer-simulation methods and an interatomic potential representing copper. One of the trivacancies and six of the tetravacancies are found to relax to collapsed forms and it is these clusters that have the lowest epergies.