A model of for the development of plastic deformation processes in an
irradiated material is proposed. The model is based on the kinetics of
dislocation ensembles interacting with defects of different nature. I
t is shown that the appearance of radiation embrittlement of reactor m
aterials cannot be adequately described if the pseudorelativistic dyna
mic effects are neglected. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics. [S1
063-7850(97)02409-9].