Long-range dynamic effects under corpuscular irradiation. Radiation methods of materials treatment

The paper is dedicated to analysis of various aspects of ionizing radiation effects on materials and substantiates a special role of radiation-dynamic effects on metastable media. It is shown that energy release in the region of a cascade, which may reach 0.5 eV/atom and higher, is sufficient to initiate metastable media transition to states with much lower free energy. It was established that, even with a weak positive response of a medium (transformation balance), irradiation may initiate self-sustained phase transformations at the front of post-cascade shock waves. Such transformations explain the nature of long-range dynamic effects. 'Radiation annealing' of metals and alloys has been substantiated and implemented in practice as an alternative to furnace annealing: it takes place at lower temperatures and within a much shorter time. Methods improving electrical, magnetic and mechanical properties of materials have been developed. (authors)