Formation of dislocation loops during He clustering in bcc Fe.

The clustering of helium in bcc (body centered cubic) iron and the growth of a helium bubble are simulated at the atomistic level for the helium-rich vacancy-poor condition. It is shown that a ½ <linear span>111<linear span> dislocation loop is formed as a sequential collection of <linear span>111<linear span> crowdions, the latter being the most stable self-interstitial atom configuration in the presence of a He cluster.