Irradiation of Fe-Mn Supersaturated Solid Solution with Ions of Various Atomic Masses (Ar+, Xe+) and Analysis of the Role of Nanosized Dynamic Effects in the Activation Processes of Long-Range Type

Abstract

A multiple increase in the atom mobility in metastable supersaturated (quenched from 850 °C) Fe-8.16 at % Mn solid solution is detected at temperatures less than 250°C under irradiation with 5-keV Ar+ and Xe+ ions of different masses. The irradiation-induced atom redistribution in the entire volume of foils 30 μm thick at a projected Ar+ and Xe+ ion ranges as much as 20-30 nm only is found and studied by the transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy. Long-range effects at low irradiation doses and anomalously low temperatures are attributed to "radiation shaking" of metastable media with post-cascade solitary waves in contrast to thermally stimulated radiation-enhanced processes in the narrow nanoscale near-surface layers of the alloy. It has been shown that heavier Xe+ ions at higher irradiation doses have a stronger impact on the solid solution than Ar+ ions.