Mechanism for thermal conductivity in energetic displacement cascades

Temperature relaxation inside and outside the energetic displacement cascade in fast neutron-irradiated metals is consistently described. The characteristic time of the energy transfer between phonons and electrons in the damaged area is calculated. The space-time temperature distribution in the cascade damaged area in Fe and Ni is presented. The electron-phonon coupling is shown to play an important role in the evolution of the damaged area due to non-equilibrium between the local phonon and electron systems at the beginning of the cooling phase of the displacement cascade.