Efficient Annealing of Radiation Damage Near Grain Boundaries via Interstitial Emission

Preventing Radiation Damage Inside a nuclear reactor, long-term exposure to radiation causes structural damage and limits the lifetimes of the reactor components. Bai et al. (p. 1631 ; see the Perspective by Ackland ) now show, using three simulation methods able to cover a wide range of time and length scales, that grain boundaries in copper can act as sinks for radiation-induced defects. The boundaries are able to store up defects, in the form of interstitials, which subsequently annihilate with vacancies in the bulk. This recombination mechanism has a lower energy barrier than the bulk equivalent, and so provides a lower-cost route for the copper to self-heal.