Reminder of few basic facts about displacements per atom (dpa) Marco G. Beghi, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Energy
displacements per atom (dpa) mechanical behaviour of structural metals (steels) (embrittlement, swelling, …) property vs. fluence depends on neutron spectrum, type of particle, … property vs. dpa collapses in single curve for a given irradiation temperature
energetic particle target nuclear reactions: transmutations, gas production (H, He, …) primary damage: vacancy/interstitial pairs: dpa (collision cascade) particle (dE/dx) ion (elastic collisions) scattering: dE/dx (stopping power) metals: heat, no damage (dE/dx) electron insulators: also damage (displacements, bond rearrangements, …) within ps independent from temperature
strongly temperature dependent within ps: displacements (dpa) (Frenkel pairs; some intracascade annihilation from ps to Ms: evolution of defect population (diffusion, annihilation, coalescence, flow to sinks, …) evolution of microstructure evolution of macroscopic properties ‘slow’ evolution strongly temperature dependent
success of dpa approach with steels: substitutional alloys: Fe-Fe, Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni, … bonds same Fe, Cr, Ni, … same mass neutron spectra: from keV to MeV dpa rates not too different simulation of neutron damage by ions: tailoring of electron/ion stopping power dpa rate with CuCD, MoGr bonds C-C, Mo-Mo, C-Mo different C, Mo, Cu different mass