Investigating radiation damage in nuclear energy materials using JANNuS multiple ion beams

Abstract

Ion accelerators have been used by material scientists for decades to investigate radiation damage formation in nuclear materials and thus to emulate neutron-induced changes. The versatility of conditions in terms of particle energy, dose rate, fluence, etc., is a key asset of ion beams allowing for fully instrumented analytical studies. In addition, very short irradiation times and handling of non-radioactive samples dramatically curtail the global cost and duration as compared to in-reactor testing. Coupling of two or more beams, use of heated/cooled sample holders, and implementation of in situ characterization and microscopy pave the way to real time observation of microstructural and property evolution in various extreme radiation conditions more closely mimicking the nuclear environments. For these reasons, multiple ion beam facilities have been commissioned worldwide. In France, under the auspices of the Universit{\'e} Paris-Saclay, the JANNuS platform for 'Joint Accelerators for Nanosciences and Nuclear Simulation' comprises five ion implanter and electrostatic accelerators with complementary performances. At CSNSM (CNRS \& Univ Paris-Sud, Orsay), a 200 kV Transmission Electron Microscope is coupled to an accelerator and an implanter for in situ observation of microstructure modifications induced by ion beams in a material, making important contribution to the understanding of physical phenomena at the nanoscale. At CEA Paris-Saclay, the unique triple beam facility in Europe allows the simultaneous irradiation with heavy ions (like Fe, W) for nuclear recoil damage and implantation of a large array of ions including gasses for well-controlled modelling-oriented experiments. Several classes of materials are of interest for the nuclear industry ranging from metals and alloys, to oxides or glasses and carbides. This paper gives selected examples that illustrate the use of JANNuS ion beams in investigating the radiation resistance of structural materials for today's and tomorrow's nuclear reactors.