Evolution of bubble in tungsten irradiated by deuterium of low energy and high flux by molecular dynamics simulations

Abstract

Using molecular dynamics simulations, the Tersoff-potential was used to investigate the evolution of deuterium (D) bubbles in tungsten (W). This work documents the entire evolution process of D bubbles: formation, growth and burst. The effects of flux, temperature and incident energy of D on the evolution and position of D bubbles were discussed. Temperature and flux together affect the time required for D bubble formation, and energy has a significant effect on depth. At 300 K, single-crystal tungsten surfaces (001), (110), (111), and (112) were bombarded by D atoms with 80 eV energy and 6.24 × 1028 m−2s−1 flux. Although all D bubbles go through three stages, the pressure, volume, and the ratio of (D in D2)/D inside bubbles can tell the difference between the four surfaces. Under the same simulation conditions, the evolution of D bubbles under a surface with a higher crystal face density was found to be harder.