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Online in situ x-ray diffraction setup for structural modification studies during swift heavy ion irradiation
C Grygiel1, H Lebius, S Bouffard
1CIMAP, CEA-CNRS-ENSICAEN-UCBN, BP 5133, 14070 Caen Cedex 5, France. grygiel@ganil.fr
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|February 4, 2012
Summary
Swift heavy ions induce material changes. An X-ray diffractometer, ALIX, studies these effects in ceramics, finding MgO resistant and SrTiO3 sensitive to ion irradiation, revealing phase transition mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Nuclear Materials
Background:
- Swift heavy ions deposit high energy densities, causing electronic excitations and structural modifications in materials.
- Understanding radiation effects is crucial for materials used in high-energy environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present ALIX (Analyse en Ligne sur IRRSUD par diffraction de rayons X), an X-ray diffractometer for studying structural modification kinetics under swift heavy ion irradiation.
- To investigate the radiation effects on the structural properties of ceramics, specifically MgO and SrTiO(3).
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous X-ray diffraction and swift heavy ion irradiation using the ALIX setup.
- Energy discrimination to differentiate X-rays from diffraction and ion-target interactions.
- Transmission electron microscopy for complementary analysis.
Main Results:
- ALIX enables simultaneous irradiation-diffraction studies, allowing real-time observation of structural changes.
- Polycrystalline MgO exhibits radiation resistance to high electronic excitations.
- Polycrystalline SrTiO(3) is highly sensitive, transitioning from crystalline to amorphous states during irradiation.
Conclusions:
- The amorphization kinetics of SrTiO(3) provide insights into defect overlapping models and latent track characteristics.
- A single impact model effectively describes the phase transition mechanism in SrTiO(3) under irradiation.
- ALIX is a valuable tool for studying radiation-induced structural modifications in materials.
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