Overview of the RPV-2 and INTERN-1 packages: From primary damage to microplasticity

International audienc

Vacancy migration energy dependence on local chemical environment in Fe–Cr alloys: A Density Functional Theory study

International audienc

Modeling of helium bubble nucleation and growth in austenitic stainless steels using an Object Kinetic Monte Carlo method

International audienceImplantation of 10 keV helium in 316L steel thin foils was performed in JANNuS-Orsay facility and modeled using a multiscale approach. Density Functional Theory (DFT) atomistic calculations [1] were used to obtain the properties of He and He-vacancy clusters, and the Binary Collision Approximation based code MARLOWE was applied to determine the damage and He-ion depth profiles as in [2,3]. The processes involved in the homogeneous He bubble nucleation and growth were defined and implemented in the Object Kinetic Monte Carlo code LAKIMOCA [4]. In particular as the He to dpa ratio was high, self-trapping of He clusters and the trap mutation of He-vacancy clusters had to be taken into account. With this multiscale approach, the formation of bubbles was modeled up to nanometer-scale size, where bubbles can be observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy. Their densities and sizes were studied as functions of fluence (up to 5 x 10(19) He/m(2)) at two temperatures (473 and 723 K) and for different sample thicknesses (25-250 nm). It appears that the damage is not only due to the collision cascades but is also strongly controlled by the He accumulation in pressurized bubbles. Comparison with experimental data is discussed and sensible agreement is achieved. Crown Copyright (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Modeling of helium bubble nucleation and growth in austenitic stainless steels using an Object Kinetic Monte Carlo method

International audienceImplantation of 10 keV helium in 316L steel thin foils was performed in JANNuS-Orsay facility and modeled using a multiscale approach. Density Functional Theory (DFT) atomistic calculations [1] were used to obtain the properties of He and He-vacancy clusters, and the Binary Collision Approximation based code MARLOWE was applied to determine the damage and He-ion depth profiles as in [2] and [3]. The processes involved in the homogeneous He bubble nucleation and growth were defined and implemented in the Object Kinetic Monte Carlo code LAKIMOCA [4]. In particular as the He to dpa ratio was high, self-trapping of He clusters and the trap mutation of He-vacancy clusters had to be taken into account. With this multiscale approach, the formation of bubbles was modeled up to nanometer-scale size, where bubbles can be observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy. Their densities and sizes were studied as functions of fluence (up to 5 × 1019 He/m2) at two temperatures (473 and 723 K) and for different sample thicknesses (25–250 nm). It appears that the damage is not only due to the collision cascades but is also strongly controlled by the He accumulation in pressurized bubbles. Comparison with experimental data is discussed and sensible agreement is achieved

Free energy landscape from path-sampling: application to the structural transition in LJ 38

We introduce a path-sampling scheme that allows equilibrium state-ensemble averages to be computed by means of a biased distribution of non-equilibrium paths. This non-equilibrium method is applied to the case of the 38-atom Lennard-Jones atomic cluster, which has a double-funnel energy landscape. We calculate the free energy profile along the Q 4 bond orientational order parameter. At high or moderate temperature the results obtained using the non-equilibrium approach are consistent with those obtained using conventional equilibrium methods, including parallel tempering and Wang-Landau Monte Carlo simulations. At lower temperatures, the non-equilibrium approach becomes more efficient in exploring the relevant inherent structures. In particular, the free energy agrees with the predictions of the harmonic superposition approximation. Copyright EDP Sciences/Società Italiana di Fisica/Springer-Verlag 200607.05.Tp Computer modeling and simulation, 36.40.Ei Phase transitions in clusters, 64.70.Pf Glass transitions, 82.60.Lf Thermodynamics of solutions ,

First-principles study of point defects in an fcc Fe-10Ni-20Cr model alloy

The influence of the local environment on vacancy and self-interstitial formation energies has been investigated in a face-centered-cubic (fcc) Fe-10Ni-20Cr model alloy by analyzing an extensive set of first-principle calculations based on density functional theory. Chemical disorder has been considered by designing special quasirandom structures and four different collinear magnetic structures have been investigated in order to determine a relevant reference state to perform point defect calculations at 0 K. Two different convergence methods have also been used to characterize the importance of the method on the results. Although our fcc Fe-10Ni-20Cr would be better represented in terms of applications by the paramagnetic state, we found that the antiferromagnetic single-layer magnetic structure was the most stable at 0 K and we chose it as a reference state to determine the point defect properties. Point defects have been introduced in this reference state, i.e., vacancies and Fe-Fe, Fe-Ni, Fe-Cr, Cr-Cr, Ni-Ni, and Ni-Cr dumbbell interstitials oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the single layer antiferromagnetic planes. Each point defect studied was introduced at different lattice sites to consider a sufficient variety of local environments and analyze its influence on the formation energy values. We have estimated the point defect formation energies with linear regressions using variables which describe the local environment surrounding the point defects. The number and the position of Ni and Cr first nearest neighbors to the point defects were found to drive the evolution of the formation energies. In particular, Ni is found to decrease and Cr to increase the vacancy formation energy of the model alloy, while the opposite trends are found for the dumbbell interstitials. This study suggested that, to a first approximation, the first nearest atoms to point defects can provide reliable estimates of point defect formation energies.Materials Science and EngineeringMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin

Ensemble of transition state structures for the cis-trans isomerization of N-methylacetamide

The cis-trans isomerization of N-methylacetamide (NMA), a model peptidic fragment, is studied theoretically in vacuo and in explicit water solvent at 300 K using the metadynamics technique. The computed cis-trans free energy difference is very similar for NMA(g) and NMA(aq), in agreement with experimental measurements of population ratios and theoretical studies at 0 K. By exploiting the flexibility in the definition of a pair of recently introduced collective variables (Branduardi, D.; Gervasio, F. L.; Parrinello, M. J. Chem. Phys. 2007, 126, 054103), an ensemble of transition state structures is generated at finite temperature for both NMA(g) and NMA(aq), as verified by computing committor distribution functions. Ensemble members of NMA(g) are shown to have correlated values of the backbone dihedral angle and a second dihedral angle involving the amide hydrogen atom. The dynamical character of these structures is preserved in the presence of solvent, whose influence on the committor functions can be modeled using effective friction/noise terms