On the Equations of Motion of Crystal Dislocations

Abstract

It is shown that when a Burgers screw dislocation moves with velocity v it suffers a longitudinal contraction by the factor (1 - v2/c2)½, where c is the velocity of transverse sound. The total energy of the moving dislocation is given by the formula E=E0/(1 - v2/c2)½, where E0 is the potential energy of the dislocation at rest. Taylor dislocations behave in a qualitatively similar manner, complicated by the fact that both longitudinal and transverse displacements and sound velocities are involved.