Characterization of Point Defect Generation, Migration and Coalescence in Irradiated SiC by Atomistic Simulation

Abstract

Renewed interest in nuclear power in the United States has prompted investigations into new reactor designs, resulting in a need to gain a greater understanding of the properties of the materials which are proposed for use in next generation nuclear reactors. This presentation will focus on preliminary results of large-scale empirical potential atomistic studies into the generation of point defect clusters in 3C SiC by particle irradiation and the evolution from point defect clusters to ‘voids’ on the atomic scale. Our working definition of ‘void’ will be explained in the context of small length-scale simulations. The determination of interstitial and vacancy diffusivities for the empirical potential employed and its impact on defect coalescence will be discussed. The characterization of initial damage states for given irradiation conditions will be presented and compared to previous work on ceramics and ceramic-composites.