  Radiation damage in body-centered cubic (BCC) Fe has been extensively studied
by computer simulations to quantify effects of temperature, impinging particle
energy, and the presence of extrinsic particles. However, limited investigation
has been conducted into the effects of mechanical stresses and strain. In a
reactor environment, structural materials are often mechanically strained, and
an expanded understanding of how this strain affects the generation of defects
may be important for predicting microstructural evolution and damage
accumulation under such conditions. In this study, we have performed molecular
dynamics simulations in which various types of homogeneous strains are applied
to BCC Fe and the effect on defect generation is examined. It is found that
volume-conserving shear strains yield no statistically significant variations
in the stable number of defects created via cascades in BCC Fe. However,
strains that result in volume changes are found to produce significant effects
on defect generation.
