This thesis investigates the behavior of two candidate materials (a-SiO2 and MgO) for applications in fusion (e.g., the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ITER) and Generation IV fission reactors. Both parts of the thesis – the development of the ionoluminescence technique and the study of the ion-irradiation effects on both materials – are highly relevant for the fields of the ion-beam analysis techniques and irradiation damage in materials. The research presented determines the microstructural changes at different length scales in these materials under ion irradiation. In particular, it studies the effect of the irradiation temperature using several advanced characterization techniques. It also provides much-needed insights into the use of these materials at elevated temperatures. Further, it discusses the development of the ion-beam-induced luminescence technique in different research facilities around the globe, a powerful in situ spectroscopic characterization method that until now was little known. Thanks to its relevance, rigorosity and quality, this thesis has received twoprestigious awards in Spain and France.

Annotation Effects of Radiation on Materials: Fourteenth International Symposium was presented at Andover, MA, June 1988. The symposium was sponsored by ASTM Committee E-10 on Nuclear Technology and Applications. The papers from the first three days of the symposium appear in the two volumes of this publication. Volume I encompasses radiation damage- induced microstructures; point defect, solute, and gas atom effects; atomic-level measurement techniques; and applications of theory. Volume II includes mechanical behavior, all papers dealing with pressure-vessel steels, breeder reactor components, dosimetry, and nuclear fuels. The fourth day of the symposium was devoted to the single topic of reduced-activation materials (see TK9204). The two volumes are separately sold at $127 and $128 respectively; each is independently indexed. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

The complexity of radiation damage effects in materials that are used in various irradiation environments stems from the fundamental particle–solid interactions and the subsequent damage recovery dynamics after the collision cascades, which involves multiple length and time scales. Adding to this complexity are the transmuted impurities that are unavoidable from accompanying nuclear processes. Helium is one such impurity that plays an important and unique role in controlling the microstructure and properties of materials used in fast fission reactors, plasma-facing and structural materials in fusion devices, spallation neutron target designs, actinides, tritium-containing materials, and nuclear waste. Their ultra-low solubility in virtually all solids forces He atoms to self-precipitate into small bubbles that become nucleation sites for further void growth under radiation-induced vacancy supersaturations, resulting in material swelling and high-temperature He embrittlement, as well as surface blistering under low-energy and high-flux He bombardment. This Special Issue, “Radiation Damage in Materials—Helium Effects”, contains review articles and full-length papers on new irradiation material research activities and novel material ideas using experimental and/or modeling approaches. These studies elucidate the interactions of helium with various extreme environments and tailored nanostructures, as well as their impact on microstructural evolution and material properties.

The revised second edition of this established text offers readers a significantly expanded introduction to the effects of radiation on metals and alloys. It describes the various processes that occur when energetic particles strike a solid, inducing changes to the physical and mechanical properties of the material. Specifically it covers particle interaction with the metals and alloys used in nuclear reactor cores and hence subject to intense radiation fields. It describes the basics of particle-atom interaction for a range of particle types, the amount and spatial extent of the resulting radiation damage, the physical effects of irradiation and the changes in mechanical behavior of irradiated metals and alloys. Updated throughout, some major enhancements for the new edition include improved treatment of low- and intermediate-energy elastic collisions and stopping power, expanded sections on molecular dynamics and kinetic Monte Carlo methodologies describing collision cascade evolution, new treatment of the multi-frequency model of diffusion, numerous examples of RIS in austenitic and ferritic-martensitic alloys, expanded treatment of in-cascade defect clustering, cluster evolution, and cluster mobility, new discussion of void behavior near grain boundaries, a new section on ion beam assisted deposition, and reorganization of hardening, creep and fracture of irradiated materials (Chaps 12-14) to provide a smoother and more integrated transition between the topics. The book also contains two new chapters. Chapter 15 focuses on the fundamentals of corrosion and stress corrosion cracking, covering forms of corrosion, corrosion thermodynamics, corrosion kinetics, polarization theory, passivity, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking. Chapter 16 extends this treatment and considers the effects of irradiation on corrosion and environmentally assisted corrosion, including the effects of irradiation on water chemistry and the mechanisms of irradiation-induced stress corrosion cracking. The book maintains the previous style, concepts are developed systematically and quantitatively, supported by worked examples, references for further reading and end-of-chapter problem sets. Aimed primarily at students of materials sciences and nuclear engineering, the book will also provide a valuable resource for academic and industrial research professionals. Reviews of the first edition: "...nomenclature, problems and separate bibliography at the end of each chapter allow to the reader to reach a straightforward understanding of the subject, part by part. ... this book is very pleasant to read, well documented and can be seen as a very good introduction to the effects of irradiation on matter, or as a good references compilation for experimented readers." - Pauly Nicolas, Physicalia Magazine, Vol. 30 (1), 2008 “The text provides enough fundamental material to explain the science and theory behind radiation effects in solids, but is also written at a high enough level to be useful for professional scientists. Its organization suits a graduate level materials or nuclear science course... the text was written by a noted expert and active researcher in the field of radiation effects in metals, the selection and organization of the material is excellent... may well become a necessary reference for graduate students and researchers in radiation materials science.” - L.M. Dougherty, 07/11/2008, JOM, the Member Journal of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society.

With contributions by Paul F. Fewster and Christoph Genzel While X-ray diffraction investigation of powders and polycrystalline matter was at the forefront of materials science in the 1960s and 70s, high-tech applications at the beginning of the 21st century are driven by the materials science of thin films. Very much an interdisciplinary field, chemists, biochemists, materials scientists, physicists and engineers all have a common interest in thin films and their manifold uses and applications. Grain size, porosity, density, preferred orientation and other properties are important to know: whether thin films fulfill their intended function depends crucially on their structure and morphology once a chemical composition has been chosen. Although their backgrounds differ greatly, all the involved specialists a profound understanding of how structural properties may be determined in order to perform their respective tasks in search of new and modern materials, coatings and functions. The author undertakes this in-depth introduction to the field of thin film X-ray characterization in a clear and precise manner.