Temperature decrease and multiple acceleration of structural and phase transformations in metastable metals and alloys under cascade-forming irradiation. Part 2 – Experimental Results and Discussion

Part 2 is a continuation of Part 1 of the Review and presenting examples of recent research by the author and his colleagues which confirm the main features of low-dose processes caused by nanoscale dynamic effects under cascade-forming irradiation, namely:(1) a decrease in the temperature of structural and phase transformations by 100-300 K in pure metals and alloys which were initially in nonequilibrium (amorphous, strongly deformed, quenched) states; (2) repeatedly (by 2-3 or more orders of magnitude) increase in the flow rate as compared with thermoactivated processes; (3) propagation of transformations over distances many times exceeding the projected ranges (R_p) of ions (or the ranges of primary recoil atoms under neutron irradiation); theoretically, these distances are unlimited, in practice they reach (10³-10⁵)⋅R_p and more (up to several mm in aluminum alloys). In the near future, the observed effects may provide a breakthrough in fundamental studies of low-temperature processes in metastable media as well as in processing and design of new functional materials. (paper)