Predicting non-equilibrium patterns beyond thermodynamic concepts: application to radiation induced microstructures.
Abstract
In this work, we derive an analytical model to predict the appearance of all possible radiation-induced steady states and their associated microstructures in immiscible A$_{\bar c}$B$_{1- \bar c}$alloys, an example of a non equilibrium dynamical system. This model is assessed against numerical simulations and experimental results which show that different microstructures characterized by the patterning of A-rich precipitates can emerge under irradiation. We demonstrate that the steady-state microstructure
is governed by irradiation conditions but also by the average initial concentration of the alloy $\bar c$. Such a dependence offers new leverage for tailoring materials with specific microstructures overcoming limitations imposed by the equilibrium thermodynamic phase diagram.
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