Alloys evolution under irradiation

Abstract
Three main classes of stability criteria for phases under irradiation are briefly reviewed. Stored energy arguments seem to account for some cases of irradiation induced amorphization or compound destruction; the coupling between point defect and solute fluxes accounts for irradiation induced precipitation in undersaturated solid solutions; quantitative modelling as well as simple stability criteria are available. The phenomenology of ballistic effects has been reformulated and yields sophisticated tools to cope with observed stability inversions or bistability phenomena. New simple models are proposed for the saturation of coarsening under irradiation or for changes in precipitate morphology when irradiation implies a change for composition. Dose rate effects are strongly emphasized.