Asymmetric X-ray line broadening of plastically deformed crystals. I. Theory

X-ray diffraction line profiles of plastically deformed Cu single crystals orientated for ideal multiple slip were recently found to be markedly asymmetric. A theory is developed to interpret this kind of asymmetric line broadening in terms of the average dislocation density, the dipole polarization of the dislocation structure and the mean square fluctuation of the dislocation density.