Clouds of impurity atoms near Line defects are believed to affect the plast
ic deformation of alloys. Three-dimensional atom probe techniques were used
to image these so-tailed Cottrell atmospheres directly. Ordered iron-alumi
num alloys (40 atomic percent aluminum) doped with boron (400 atomic parts
per million) were investigated on an atomic scale along the (001) direction
. A boron enrichment was observed in the vicinity of an (001) edge dislocat
ion, The enriched region appeared as a three-dimensional pipe 5 nanometers
in diameter, tangent to the dislocation Line. The dislocation was found to
be boron-enriched by a factor of 50 (2 atomic percent) relative to the bulk
. The Local boron enrichment is accompanied by a strong aluminum depletion
of 20 atomic percent.