Distribution of M-Centres after Annealing in Plastically Deformed LiF Crystals

The persistence of M-centres in glide bands after annealing is explained with the aid of edge dislocations dipoles. On one hand these would cause the segregation of M-centres, and on the other hand the segregation of the complementary interstitials, migrating in the opposite direction under the action of residual stresses. This slows down the recombination of these defects and consequently the thermal bleaching.