Application of ion beam techniques to solid state physics and technology of nuclear materials

Abstract

Nuclear materials operate under unique conditions of radiation damage and, for nuclear fuels, of constantly changing chemical composition. For some time ion implantation has been realized to present an effective means of simulating such conditions. Other ion beam techniques were used with nuclear fuels as well and helped to solve important open questions. Channeling studies answered questions on the lattice location of impurities, on lattice structure and on the surface states of nuclear fuels. Nuclear reactions induced by ion beams were used to study fuel-clad problems and a variety of ion beam techniques was recently applied to investigate the final product in the nuclear fuel cycle, i.e. solidified nuclear waste in the form of glasses. Examples are given to describe these applications of ion beams to nuclear materials and to point out the progress achieved.