Defect ensembles on the surface of loaded metals as a result of their reversible aggregation

The structures of nanodefect ensembles formed on the surfaces of copper, go ld, and molybdenum under a load have been investigated. The properties of t he defect ensembles are described in the framework of the reversible aggreg ation model. The size distribution of nanodefects is thermodynamically dete rmined by the maximum "entropy of their mixing" with atoms of the crystal l attice. The entropy of mixing reaches a maximum value at a small concentrat ion of defects due to a considerable difference in the sizes of defects and atoms. This concentration agrees closely with the experimental data. The r educed size distribution of defects is universal. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Inte rperiodica".