Radiation Damage Theory: Past, Present and Future

Efforts of many scientists for more than a half of a century have resulted in substantial understanding of the response of various materials to irradiation. The theory has contributed significantly to this process but has not acquired a status allowing it to play a decisive role in creating radiation-resistant materials. Moreover, some theoretical predictions are in contradiction with observations, which indicates that something important has escaped attention. In the present paper, the current theoretical framework and experimental data are analyzed to elucidate the reasons for such a situation. A way of developing a predictive theory is proposed.