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Surface relief of austenitic 316L steel cycled with constant plastic strain
amplitude at depressed and elevated temperature was studied using scanning
electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The formation of PSMs and
their evolution during cycling was followed. PSMs consist primarily of extrusions
accompanied later by parallel intrusions. The kinetics of the early intrusion
growth was assessed. At the lowest temperatures only static extrusions and
intrusions were found. The findings were discussed in relation to point defect
models of fatigue crack initiation