Charged‐Particle Irradiation for Neutron Radiation Damage Studies

Abstract The use of energetic charged‐particles are a useful experimental method for producing and studying radiation damage. In addition to producing displacement damage via Coulomb‐moderated ballistic collisions, charged‐particles can also be used to implant specific elements thus changing the chemical and compositional nature of the target material. Charged particle beam studies of radiation damage result in specimens that are usually not any more radioactive than prior to the irradiation. The specific aspect of charged‐particle irradiations that makes them a powerful tool for studying the physics of radiation damage accumulation is the high displacement and implantation rates and that the experimenter can vary important variables of the radiation environment. These include the energy and mass of the charged‐particle, the atomic number of the ion, the temperature, the dose and dose rate, and the mechanical stress of the specimen under test. Experiments can be designed to identify and understand the key mechanisms of radiation damage accumulation. Most importantly, the understanding gained from such experiments can inform and validate models that are then used to make science‐based predictions about material performance under other radiation conditions such as those encountered in a fission reactor or as might be expected in a fusion reactor. Particularly, useful examples of charged‐particle irradiation studies are those experiments that follow the growth of helium bubbles and cavities resulting from the combination of helium implantation and displacement damage