•Electron beam modifies the structure of the surface layer (100 µm) in the aluminum alloy AA2024.•The passage of deformation processes induced by irradiation, occurred by grain boundary sliding.•The level of residual stresses in the remelted layer has a relatively low value (34 MPa). AA2024 aluminum alloy was irradiated by a high-current pulsed electron beam with the following parameters: beam energy ∼0.3 MeV, current ∼2000A, pulse duration ∼5·10−6 s, beam diameter ∼3 cm. The thickness of the surface remelted layer reached 100 μm. Dynamic thermal stresses caused by irradiation, induced the development of deformation processes in the irradiated layer. Based on the study of surface morphology and structural state of the remelted layer, it was shown that deformation processes occur in the surface layer by the grain boundary sliding mechanism. The level of residual stresses in the irradiated layer was low and amounted to 34 MPa.