Characterization of Radiation Effects and Ion Tracks with Spallation Neutron Probes

Maik Lang, Eric O’Quinn, Jörg Neuefeind, Christina Trautmann

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Swift heavy ions are typically defined as high-mass charged particles of kinetic energy above ∼1 MeV per nucleon (MeV/u). In this regime, the energy deposition of the ions is dominated by electronic stopping, and each individual ion may induce a linear trail of damage with a width of a few nanometers and a length of several tens of micrometers or more [1]. During the last decade, ion tracks and other radiation effects induced by swift heavy ions have been studied in a wide range of materials for basic research, as well as for a wide variety of applications. The interactions of swift heavy ions with matter are significantly different from those induced by lower energy ions (keV-MeV), where atoms are directly displaced from their lattice sites via elastic collisions. In contrast, swift ions (MeV-GeV) transfer their kinetic energy to the electrons of the target, inducing ionization and initiating a cascade of secondary electrons that quickly spreads radially. The extremely high energy densities (up to tens of eV/atom) along the ion path lead to a confined plasma-like state that is dissipated through electron–phonon coupling to the lattice. Subsequent rapid transitions through equilibrium and non-equilibrium states trigger complex structural modifications within a highly localized nanoscale damage zone, forming ion tracks in materials ion tracks ­(Figure 1) [2].

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)16-19
Number of pages4
JournalNuclear Physics News
Volume30
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2 2020
Externally publishedYes

Funding

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, under Award DE-SC0020321. The research at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source was sponsored by the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy.

FundersFunder number
Scientific User Facilities Division
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Science
Basic Energy SciencesDE-SC0020321
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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