Generation of shock waves in iron under irradiation

Molecular dynamics simulation is employed to study peculiarities of the formation and propagation of shock waves generated by atomic displacement cascades in iron crystallites under irradiation. The interaction of shock waves with point defects and their clusters is investigated. Atomic interactions are described with the use of the pair central-symmetric potential. Parameters of shock waves generated by atomic displacement cascades are evaluated and their dependence of the crystallographic direction, energy of a primary knock-on atom, and crystallite temperature is determined. These waves are shown to cause point defect clusters to rearrange.