Kinetics of nucleation of clusters of defects in materials under continuous and cyclic irradiation conditions

Abstract

Abstract In the present paper a system of nonlinear kinetic equations is solved which describes the kinetics of nucleation and growth of clusters of defects in materials under irradiation. The developed method of calculation is applicable for examining the kinetics of accumulation of irradiation damage in the bulk under conditions of continuous and cyclic irradiation, the latter of which corresponds to the conditions of irradiation of the “first wall” of a future fusion reactor. It is shown that the cyclic irradiation conditions for the irradiation parameters being used hardly affect the nucleation of dislocation loops. The kinetics of the growth of dislocation loops is mainly determined by the total irradiation dose obtained over the whole time interval of cyclic irradiation. As regards the stage of annealing of point defects between the irradiation cycles, this does not provide any significant contribution to the growth of dislocation loops.