Defect production and formation of helium-vacancy clusters in cascades of α-iron with different concentration of helium

Abstract

The low-temperature displacement cascades in α-Fe with different concentrations of substitutional He atoms are simulated by molecular dynamics (MD) methods. Primary knock-on atom (PKA) energy, Ep , from 500eV to 5keV is cons idered for irradiation temperature of 100K. The concentration of He in Fe varies from 1% to 5%. The results are compared with those obtained in pure α-Fe. We f ind the number of Frenkel pairs (NF) in Fe with low concentration of He atoms is nearly equal to those in pure Fe, but increases with increasing He c oncentration. The present study demonstrates for the first time that He-vacancy bubbles can be nucleated directly from displacement cascades, even at low tempe rature at which the vacancies are not mobile. However, the efficiency of He-vaca ncy clusters increases with increasing the concentration of He for the same ener gy recoils, and increases with increasing Ep for the same concentrati on of He. The mechanisms of He bubble nucleation in displacement cascades are di scussed in detail.