Self-energy of dislocations and dislocation pileups

Abstract

A continuum model of dislocation pileups that takes the self-energy of dislocations into account is proposed. An analytical solution describing the distribution of dislocations in equilibrium is found from the energy minimization. Based on this solution we show (i) the existence of a critical threshold stress for the equilibrium of dislocations within a double pileup, and (ii) the existence of a non-linear regime in which the number of dislocations in a double pileup does not scale linearly with the resolved external shear stress, contrary to the classical double pileup model.