Effect of Proton and Laser Irradiation on the Elastic
and Inelastic Properties of a VTiCr Alloy

B. K. Kardashev*, O. A. Plaksin**, V. A. Stepanov**, and V. M. Chernov***

* Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Politekhnicheskaya ul. 26, St. Petersburg, 194021 Russia

e-mail: b.kardashev@mail.ioffe.ru

** Lepunski Institute of Physics and Power Engineering, Russian Federal Research Center,
pl. Bondarenko 1, Obninsk, Kaluzhskaya oblast, 249020 Russia

*** Federal State Unitary Enterprise Bochvar All-Russia Research Institute of Inorganic Materials,
ul. Rogova 5, Moscow, 123060 Russia

Received December 30, 2003

Abstract—The behavior of Young’s modulus E and the decrement of ultrasonic vibrations in a V–4Ti–4Cr
alloy is studied during proton (8-MeV protons, dose rate 10⁴ Gy/s) or IR laser (YAG : Nd³⁺ laser, wavelength
1.06 m, intensity up to 10² W/cm²) irradiation. Measurements are performed using the method of a composite
piezoelectric oscillator (longitudinal 100-kHz resonance vibrations). The sizes of the irradiated surface regions
of a sample in the proton and laser experiments are the same in order to provide the same thermal conditions in
the sample–quartz transducer system. The amplitude, time, and temperature dependences of E and are mea-
sured before and after preliminary plastic deformation, as well as before, during, and after irradiation of a sam-
ple. The process of postdeformation aging (the kinetics of recovery of internal friction after deformation) during
proton irradiation is shown to differ substantially from that during laser irradiation. The specific features
detected can be explained by the more intense evolution of the defect structure during proton irradiation. Anal-
ysis shows that radiation annealing is related to the ionizing component of proton irradiation, which excites the
electronic subsystem of the metallic alloy and, thus, creates hot electrons and plasmons. The electron excita-
tions relax at lattice defects (dislocations) and increase the dislocation mobility; this results in a relatively rapid
decrease in the dislocation density and in a more significant (as compared to the laser irradiation) decrease in
the level of internal stresses in the material. © 2004 MAIK “Nauka/Interperiodica”.

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