Contributions of different mechanisms of self-diffusion in face-centered cubic metals under equilibrium conditions

The contributions of different mechanisms of self-diffusion in face-centered cubic metals Ni, Cu, and Al at thermodynamic equilibrium have been analyzed using the molecular dynamics method. The vacancy, divacancy, and cyclic mechanisms of self-diffusion, as well as the mechanisms involving the vacancy migration to the second coordination sphere and the formation and recombination of Frenkel pairs, have been considered. It has been shown that the second in contribution to the self-diffusion after the vacancy mechanism in the metals under consideration is the migration of divacancies. The third is the mechanism involving the formation and recombination of dynamic Frenkel pairs. The cyclic mechanisms (with simultaneous atomic displacements) and the vacancy migration directly to the second coordination sphere in face-centered cubic metals are unlikely.