Development of ion beam technique for detection of displacement damage in materials

Galende Pérez, Roberto (author), Pelicon, Primož (mentor), Markelj, Sabina (comentor), Jalali, Payman (comentor)

The high-energy neutrons from fission reactions cause displacement damage in the materials in fission power plants. It is important to study how these defects influence the material’s properties for a safe operation of a reactor. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) in channeling configuration is a powerful technique to analyze the structure of materials. It takes advantage of the crystalline structure of the material to reach deep inside the solid. Defects will affect the beam by backscattering or dechanneling. RBS spectra can be combined with Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulations to obtain complementary information. Defects structure depends on the temperature of the material, where thermal annealing is one technique to restore its properties. Within the thesis the RBS technique in channeling configuration was developed and first measurements were performed on test materials.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, Channeling, Iron, Tungsten, Crystal, Radiation damage, Annealing
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
• Year: 2025
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-167642
• COBISS.SI-ID: 227973891
• Publication date in RUL: 05.03.2025

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Razvoj analizne tehnike s hitrimi ioni za detekcijo odrivnih strukturnih poškodb v materialih

Abstract

Visokoenergijski nevtroni iz fisijskih reakcij povzročajo strukturne poškodbe zaradi izpodrivanja atomov v materialih, iz katerih je zgrajen fisijski reaktor. Za varno delovanje reaktorja je pomembno preučiti, kako te napake vplivajo na lastnosti materialov, iz katerih so zgrajeni ključni sestavni deli. Rutherfordova spektrometrija s povratna sipanimi ioni (angl. Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy, RBS), ki jo izvajamo v konfiguraciji z ionskim kanaliranjem, nam omogoča vpogled v strukturo materialov in radiacijskih poškodb. Ko poravnamo kristalne ravnine z vpadno smerjo ionskega žarka, ioni prodrejo globlje v snov in se sipljejo na napakah v kristalni strukturi. Spektre povratno sipanih ionov lahko simuliramo z računsko metodo molekularne dinamike (angl. Molecular Dynamic Calculation, MDC) in primerjamo z izmerjenimi, da prepoznamo naravo in obseg strukturnih napak v materialu. Struktura radiacijski poškodb v materialu je močno odvisna od temperature materiala med obsevanjem. S pregrevanjem materiala po obsevanju lahko zmanjšamo obseg strukturnih poškodb. V magistrskem delu sem postavil tehniko Rutherfordove spektrometrije s povratno sipanimi ioni v konfiguraciji ionskega kanaliranja. Izvedel sem testne meritve na materialih in ocenil njihove strukturne lastnosti.

• Keywords: Rutherfordova spektrometrija povratnega sipanja, kanaliziranje, železo, volfram, kristal, sevalne poškodbe, pregrevanje