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Results for “irradiation damage”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1996

Diffusion lengths in irradiated N/P InP-on-Si solar cells

Indium phosphide (InP) solar cells were made on silicon (Si) wafers (InP/Si) by to take advantage of both the radiation-hardness properties of the InP solar cell and the light weight and low cost of Si wafers. The InP/Si cell application is for long duration and/or high radiation orbit space missions. Spire has made N/P InP/Si cells of sizes up to 2 cm by 4 cm with beginning-of-life (BOL) AM0 efficiencies over 13% (one-sun, 28C). These InP/Si cells have higher absolute efficiency and power density after a high radiation dose than gallium arsenide (GaAs) or silicon (Si) solar cells after a fluence of about 2e15 1 MeV electrons/sq. cm. In this work, we investigate the minority carrier (electron) base diffusion lengths in the N/P InP/Si cells. A quantum efficiency model was constructed for a 12% BOL AM0 N/P InP/Si cell which agreed well with the absolutely measured quantum efficiency and the sun-simulator measured AM0 photocurrent (30.1 mA/sq. cm). This model was then used to generate a table of AM0 photocurrents for a range of base diffusion lengths. AM0 photocurrents were then measured for irradiations up to 7.7e16 1 MeV electrons/sq. cm (the 12% BOL cell was 8% after the final irradiation). By comparing the measured photocurrents with the predicted photocurrents, base diffusion lengths were assigned at each fluence level. A damage coefficient K of 4e-8 and a starting (unirradiated) base electron diffusion length of 0.8 microns fits the data well. The quantum efficiency was measured again at the end of the experiment to verify that the photocurrent predicted by the model (25.5 mA/sq. cm) agreed with the simulator-measured photocurrent after irradiation (25.7 mA/sq. cm).

Wojtczuk, Steven↗
DOE OSTI2025

Distinctive features of fluorescence and waveguides in magnesium aluminate spinel crystals driven by structural discrepancy

Transparent polycrystalline ceramics are of significant importance for a wide range of scientific and industrial applications. Developing a deeper understanding of their thermodynamic behavior is essential for achieving their maximum output performance in technological applications. This study provides a systematic investigation into the thermal excitation-induced fluorescence kinetics and waveguide characteristics of Magnesium Aluminate Spinel (MgAl 2 O 4 ) single crystals, with a focus on the intricate relationship between structure and properties. High-temperature extreme environments through irradiation with swift heavy ions 645.0 MeV Xe and 352.8 MeV Fe ions were created; the atomic deposition energy threshold (E th ) associated with disorder morphologies was assessed between 0.91 and 0.99 eV atom –1 . The track prediction model was developed to support the theoretical prediction of track formation. Electronic energy loss (E ele ) disrupts the balance of the initial structure through the thermal spike effect, leading to the formation of absorption-related F and F + color centers. These defects enhance photoluminescence in the visible spectrum and result in an effective modulation of the intrinsic bandgap. Moreover, as ion beams penetrate into the material, the uneven damage distribution induces the formation of waveguide structures. In conclusion, these findings provide valuable insights into the fabrication of functional devices through irradiation technologies and the structural changes of MgAl 2 O 4 at high temperatures within extreme environments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2010

A Comparison of Molecular and Histopathological Changes in Mouse Intestinal Tissue Following Whole-Body Proton- or Gamma-Irradiation

There are many consequences following exposure to the space radiation environment which can adversely affect the health of a crew member. Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) involving nausea and vomiting, damage to radio-sensitive tissue such as the blood forming organs and gastrointestinal tract, and cancer are some of these negative effects. The space radiation environment is ample with protons and contains gamma rays as well. Little knowledge exists to this point, however, regarding the effects of protons on mammalian systems; conversely several studies have been performed observing the effects of gamma rays on different animal models. For the research presented here, we wish to compare our previous work looking at whole-body exposure to protons using a mouse model to our studies of mice experiencing whole-body exposure to gamma rays as part of the radio-adaptive response. Radio-adaptation is a well-documented phenomenon in which cells exposed to a priming low dose of radiation prior to a higher dose display a reduction in endpoints like chromosomal aberrations, cell death, micronucleus formation, and more when compared to their counterparts receiving high dose-irradiation only. Our group has recently completed a radio-adaptive experiment with C57BL/6 mice. For both this study and the preceding proton research, the gastrointestinal tract of each animal was dissected four hours post-irradiation and the isolated small intestinal tissue was fixed in formalin for histopathological examination or snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen for RNA isolation. Histopathologic observation of the tissue using standard H&E staining methods to screen for morphologic changes showed an increase in apoptotic lesions for even the lowest doses of 0.1 Gy of protons and 0.05 Gy of gamma rays, and the percentage of apoptotic cells increased with increasing dose. A smaller percentage of crypts showed 3 or more apoptotic lesions in animals that received 6 Gy of gamma-irradiation compared to mice receiving only 2 Gy of protons. Tissue of the gastrointestinal tract was also homogenized and RNA was isolated for cDNA synthesis and real-time PCR analysis. Inspecting apoptotic lesions of the duodenum of the small intestine as an endpoint of damage did not reveal a radio-adaptive response in C57BL/6 mice at the four hour time point. Results of gene expression changes showed consistent up or down regulation of a number of genes for all of the exposure doses that may play a role in proton-induced apoptosis. Preliminary results of gene expression alterations as a result of gamma-irradiation revealed a wealth of genes involved in oxidative stress and antioxidant defense processes being up- or down-regulated only at the highest exposure dose of 6 Gy and the combined dose of 5 cGy with 6 Gy. Those animals undergoing only 5 cGy of gamma-irradiation showed very little modification of gene expression. Taken together these results lead us to conclude that protons cause more severe morphologic damage to the duodenum of the small intestine at a dose of 2 Gy than a higher dose of 6 Gy of gamma rays to the same organ. Both protons and gamma rays lead to significant variation in gene expression at high doses in the small intestine and these changes may provide insight into the mechanism of injury seen in the gastrointestinal tract following radiation exposure. Astronauts experiencing prolonged exposure to protons in the low Earth orbit and in deep space, and experiencing acute exposure to protons from solar particle events, may face biological consequences that will impact a mission s success. We will continue this work by studying, quantifying, and comparing damage due to protons and gamma rays in the small intestine as well as other organs in a time-dependent manner.

Purgason, Ashley↗
NASA NTRS1999

Radiation-Induced Cytogenetic Damage as a Predictor of Cancer Risk for Protons and Fe Ions

We have successfully completed the series of experiments planned for year 1 and the first part of year 2 measuring the induction of chromosome aberrations induced in multiple cell types by three model space radiations: Fe-ions, protons and photons. Most of these data have now been compiled and a significant part subjected to detailed data analyses, although continuing data analysis is an important part of our current and future efforts. These analyses are directed toward defining the patterns of chromosomal damage induction by the three radiations and the extent to which such patterns are dependent on the type of cell irradiated. Our studies show significant differences, both quantitatively and qualitatively, between response of different cell types to these radiations however there is an overall pattern that characterizes each type of radiation in most cell lines. Thus our data identifies general dose-response patterns for each radiation for induction of multiple types of chromosomal aberrations but also identifies significant differences in response between some cell types. Specifically, we observe significant resistance for induction of aberrations in rat mammary epithelial cells when they are irradiated in vivo and assayed in vitro. Further, we have observed some remarkable differences in susceptibility to certain radiation-induced aberrations in cells whose genome has been modulated for two cancer- relevant genes, TP53 and CDKNIA. This data, if confirmed, may represent the first evidence of gene-specific differences in cellular metabolism of damage induced by densely-ionizing radiation that confers substantial sensitivity to protons compared to photons.

Williams, Jerry R.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress: Importance for Skeletal Structure and Responses to Simulated Spaceflight

Spaceflight environment poses challenges to the human body. Both microgravity and radiation may lead to excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and resulting oxidative stress and tissue damage. Specifically in bone, elevated ROS can contribute to excess bone resorption by osteoclasts over bone formation by osteoblasts, reduced viability of osteocytes, and ultimately, osteoporosis. Thus, we hypothesized that suppression of mitochondrial ROS in bone cells improves overall bone structure in the adult skeleton and skeletal defenses from spaceflight. To begin to test our hypothesis, we (1) modified ROS levels in bone cells using mCAT (Malonyl CoA-acyl carrier protein transacylase) mice, which overexpress the human anti-oxidant catalase gene targeted to the mitochondria. We also increased ROS and stimulated skeletal remodeling by exposing mice to simulated spaceflight (hindlimb-unloading and total body-irradiation) or sham treatment. When challenged with treatment, bones from wildtype mice showed elevated levels of oxidative damage whereas mCAT mice did not. Treatment caused expected bone loss in wildtype mice. Treatment caused deficits in microarchitecture of mCAT mice, although lower in magnitude than wildtype. In conclusion, our results indicate mitochondrial ROS generation in osteoblast and osteoclast lineage cells of skeletal tissue contributes to skeletal remodeling and quenching oxidative damage may improve the skeletal responses to spaceflight.

Radiation↗
DOE OSTI2021

Probing Microstructure-induced Swelling & Thermal Property Changes in Ion-Irradiated Oxide Fuels using Laser-generated Surface Acoustic Waves

Radiation of fuel rods with neutrons during a fission reaction in a nuclear reactor is known to affect the material microstructure of the fuel as a result of fission fragment damage, and lead to the formation of atomic-level defects such as voids, dislocation loops, and lattice swelling from fission-gas release. A consequence of the radiation-induced damage in nuclear fuels is the drastic alteration of material properties, in particular, the reduction of the thermal conductivity – a key parameter that governs the transport of thermal energy released from fissile fuel atoms to the surrounding coolant. Swelling can induce high stresses and ultimate failure of the cladding. A fundamental understanding of the role of radiation-induced damage on the thermal transport and mechanical properties of nuclear fuels is therefore critical for efficient, reliable and safe operation of a nuclear power plant. As opposed to conventional post-irradiation examination techniques that are often time-consuming and require significant sample preparation, laser-based characterization methods have emerged as promising non-contact, non-destructive tools to measure the evolution of microstructure-induced material property changes. Moreover, laser methods offer the promise of in-situ characterization while the material is being irradiated. This project aims to develop an improved understanding of the impact of radiation-induced changes to material microstructure on the thermal and elastic properties of nuclear materials. A laser ultrasonic technique, known as the transient grating (TG) spectroscopy method, is used to simultaneously measure thermal diffusivity and elastic properties in unirradiated and ion-irradiated oxide nuclear fuel samples. The results will complement on-going investigations on electron- and phonon-mediated thermal transport in nuclear materials and will provide foundational work for incorporating the influence of defects in fuel performance codes.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Non-radiative luminescence decay with self-trapped hole migration in strontium titanate: Interplay between optical and transport properties

A novel model for the non-radiative decay of self-trapped excitons (STEs) in the advanced functional oxide SrTiO3 is proposed and supported by experimental observations. The study is based on the initial ionoluminescence stage for STE emission at 2.5 eV, and its dependence on temperature and electronic excitation rate under energetic heavy-ion irradiation. For all temperatures, this initial stage reaches rapidly a quasi-steady level, and then decreases as induced-structural damage increases. The quasi-steady luminescence exhibits a linear dependence on the excitation rate, suggesting a constant efficiency for STEs formation. An activation energy of 55 meV, essentially independent of the incident ion mass and energy of projectile-ion, is deduced from an Arrhenius-type relationship with irradiation temperature. This energy is in good agreement with experimental values, measured for non-radiative STE decay under ns-laser pulse excitation, and reasonably consistent with density functional theory calculations for migration of self-trapped holes (STHs) described by a small-polaron adiabatic hopping model. A new mechanism dealing with a non-radiative contribution to the STE transition is discussed, consisting of STH migration through thermally-activated hopping and annihilation with the STE-electron. Luminescence kinetics from the chromium intrinsic impurity strongly supports this model, being consistent with the annihilation of Cr 3+ centers through recombination with migrating STHs.

luminescence↗
DOE OSTI2022

Role of electronic energy loss on defect production and interface stability: Comparison between ceramic materials and high-entropy alloys

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) and some complex alloys exhibit desirable properties and significant structural stability in harsh environments, including possible applications in advanced reactors. Energetic ion irradiation is often used as a surrogate for neutron irradiation; however, the impact of ion electronic energy deposition and dissipation is often neglected. Moreover, differences in recoil energy spectrum and density of cascade events on damage evolution must also be considered. In many chemically complex alloys, the mean free path of electrons is reduced significantly, thus their decreased thermal conductivity and slow dissipation of localized radiation energy can have noticeable effects on displacement cascade evolution that is greatly different from metals with high thermal conductivity. In this work, nanocrystalline HEAs of Ni 20 Fe 20 Co 20 Cr 20 Cu 20 and nonequiatomic (NiFeCoCr) 97 Cu 3 , both having much lower room-temperature thermal conductivity than pure Ni or Fe, are chosen as model HEAs to reveal the role that electronic energy loss during ion irradiation has in complex alloys. The response of nanocrystalline HEAs is investigated under irradiation at room temperature using MeV Ni and Au ions that have different ratios of electronic energy to damage energy, which is the energy dissipated in displacing atoms. Different from previously reported amorphization of nanocrystalline SiC, experimental results on these HEAs show that, similar to the process in nanocrystalline oxide materials, both inelastic thermal spikes via electron–phonon coupling and elastic thermal spikes via collisions among atomic nuclei contribute to the overall grain growth. The growth follows a power law dependence with the total deposited ion energy, and the derived value of the power-exponent suggests that the irradiation-induced instability at and near grain boundaries leads to local rapid atomic rearrangements and consequently grain growth. The high power-exponent value can be attributed to the sluggish diffusion and delayed defect evolution arising from the chemical complexity intrinsic to HEAs. Here, this work calls attention to quantified fundamental understanding of radiation damage processes beyond that of simplified displacement events, especially in simulating neutron environments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Proton irradiation effects in Molybdenum-Carbide-Graphite composites

The High Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) has prompted the investigation of novel materials for beam-intercepting devices, and in particular for the collimators responsible for protecting the machine from beam losses. The HL-LHC collimation system will inevitably experience increased levels of radiation damage and undergo changes in their crucial physio-mechanical properties. Graphite-matrix composite materials containing molybdenum carbide particles, along with small amounts of titanium carbide, were developed with the objective of enhanced in-beam performance and tested under proton irradiation. The physical degradation observed in early grades of molybdenum carbide compounds, even after modest proton fluences, has prompted the development of advanced compounds. In this work, we examine the effects of proton irradiation on the microstructural and thermophysical properties of new grades of Molybdenum-carbide-graphite compounds up to fluences of ~2 × 10 20 p/cm 2 . Here, we employ a combination of precision dilatometry and high-energy X-ray diffraction to quantify the dimensional stability and crystallographic phase evolution both pre- and post-irradiation. Our results reveal that these new compounds exhibit superior resilience to radiation damage than their predecessors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Effect of rhenium addition on deuterium retention in neutron-irradiated tungsten

In this work, the effects of rhenium (Re) addition on deuterium (D) retention in neutron-irradiated tungsten (W) were investigated. Pure W and W-5Re (5 at.%) alloy samples were irradiated with neutrons at High Flux Isotope Reactor using MFE-RB-19 J capsule. The sample temperature and the damage level were 864 K and 0.35 dpa for pure W and 792 K and 0.26 dpa for W-5Re alloy. A portion of the samples was exposed to D plasma at Tritium Plasma Experiment at Idaho National Laboratory at 823 K to a fluence of 5 × 1025 m -2 . Vacancy-type defects in neutron-irradiated samples were examined using positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS); D retention after plasma exposure was evaluated by thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS). TDS measurements revealed that D retention in the neutron-irradiated W-5Re alloy was similar to that in the unirradiated W sample, whereas a significant increase in D retention was observed in neutron-irradiated W. Thus, Re addition significantly suppressed the increase in D retention after neutron irradiation. This effect was attributed to the suppression of vacancy-type defect formation, as confirmed by PAS.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2002

Response of thyroid follicular cells to gamma irradiation compared to proton irradiation: II. The role of connexin 32

The objective of this study was to determine whether connexin 32-type gap junctions contribute to the "contact effect" in follicular thyrocytes and whether the response is influenced by radiation quality. Our previous studies demonstrated that early-passage follicular cultures of Fischer rat thyroid cells express functional connexin 32 gap junctions, with later-passage cultures expressing a truncated nonfunctional form of the protein. This model allowed us to assess the role of connexin 32 in radiation responsiveness without relying solely on chemical manipulation of gap junctions. The survival curves generated after gamma irradiation revealed that early-passage follicular cultures had significantly lower values of alpha (0.04 Gy(-1)) than later-passage cultures (0.11 Gy(-1)) (P < 0.0001, n = 12). As an additional way to determine whether connexin 32 was contributing to the difference in survival, cultures were treated with heptanol, resulting in higher alpha values, with early-passage cultures (0.10 Gy(-1)) nearly equivalent to untreated late-passage cultures (0.11 Gy(-1)) (P > 0.1, n = 9). This strongly suggests that the presence of functional connexin 32-type gap junctions was contributing to radiation resistance in gamma-irradiated thyroid follicles. Survival curves from proton-irradiated cultures had alpha values that were not significantly different whether cells expressed functional connexin 32 (0.10 Gy(-1)), did not express connexin 32 (0.09 Gy(-1)), or were down-regulated (early-passage plus heptanol, 0.09 Gy(-1); late-passage plus heptanol, 0.12 Gy(-1)) (P > 0.1, n = 19). Thus, for proton irradiation, the presence of connexin 32-type gap junctional channels did not influence their radiosensitivity. Collectively, the data support the following conclusions. (1) The lower alpha values from the gamma-ray survival curves of the early-passage cultures suggest greater repair efficiency and/or enhanced resistance to radiation-induced damage, coincident with the expression of connexin 32-type gap junctions. (2) The increased sensitivity of FRTL-5 cells to proton irradiation was independent of their ability to communicate through connexin 32 gap junctions. (3) The fact that the beta components of the survival curves from both gamma rays and proton beams were similar (average 0.022 +/- 0.008 Gy(-2), P > 0.1, n = 39) suggests that at higher doses the loss of viability occurs at a relatively constant rate and is independent of radiation quality and the presence of functional gap junctions.

Non-NASA Center↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of Partial Charge Collection Induced by Neutron Damage in High-Purity Germanium Detectors

This paper investigates the correlation of damage induced by neutron interactions and degradation in the spectra of HPGe detectors. As neutrons kinetically interact with germanium crystals, they create interstitial and vacancy defects within the lattice. These defects then interfere with the charge migration of electron-hole pairs and reduce resolution in the observed energy spectrum. The partial charge collection produces observable spectral changes by increasing the peak width and reducing resolution (full width half maximum). A detailed characterization using various check sources was performed before and after iterations of neutron exposure in order to observe the effects of the neutron damage. An additional set of measurements was performed along with characterizations to show the detector’s response at discrete locations on the HPGe crystal. This was done to observe how the spectrum changes when the gamma rays are isolated to regions of various thicknesses of germanium. In order to impart damage, the detector was placed inside a californium shuffler with the face of the detector against the guide tube for the 252 Cf source. For irradiation of the HPGe, the source was then positioned in front of the face of the detector using the stepper motor of the shuffler. The neutron exposure time intervals were recorded and increased based on the initial damage observed. An MCNP simulation was performed to estimate the amount of interactions that occurred in the germanium crystal to ensure enough damage had occurred. Studying the effects that neutron damage imparts on a bullet-type HPGe detector can help provide necessary data to estimate total neutron exposure limits, reduce the likelihood of decisions made on suspect data, and aid in diagnostics of a damaged detector.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

X-ray characterization of fully-depleted p-channel Skipper-CCDs for the DarkNESS mission

The Dark matter Nanosatellite Equipped with Skipper Sensors (DarkNESS) mission is a 6U CubeSat designed to search for X-ray lines from decaying dark matter using Skipper-CCDs. Thick, fully-depleted p-channel Skipper-CCDs provide low readout noise and high quantum efficiency for 1-10 keV X-rays, but their X-ray performance has not yet been demonstrated in the space environment. DarkNESS will operate in low-Earth orbit, where trapped protons induce displacement damage in the sensor that increases charge-transfer inefficiency and degrades the X-ray energy resolution. This work measures the X-ray line response of Skipper-CCDs before and after proton irradiation and quantifies the associated degradation. A sensor was exposed to 217 MeV protons at a fluence of 8.4 x 10^10 protons cm^-2, corresponding to a displacement-damage dose more than an order of magnitude above the three-year expectation for representative mid-inclination and Sun-synchronous low-Earth orbits. A 55Fe source was used to compare the energy resolution of the beam-exposed quadrant to adjacent unexposed quadrants and a non-irradiated reference sensor. These measurements provide a quantitative assessment of radiation-induced spectral degradation in Skipper-CCDs and enable an estimate of the end-of-life X-ray energy resolution expected for DarkNESS operation in low-Earth orbit.

Alpine, Phoenix [Illinois U., Urbana] (ORCID:00090↗
DOE OSTI2023

Analysis of position-dependent cavity parameters in irradiated metals to obtain insight on fundamental defect migration phenomena

Motion of point defects is a fundamental process that governs microstructure and properties of materials. Here, we examine the near-surface and grain boundary cavity swelling depth profiles in neutron- and ion-irradiated simple metals (Cu, Ni, and Fe-Cr) and investigate diffusional broadening of implanted Ni ions in Fe-Cr alloys. Vacancy migration energies and radiation-enhanced diffusion were experimentally estimated. Cavity denuded zone widths near planar sinks are shown to be dependent on temperature, damage rate, balance of point defects and sinks, and vacancy migration energies. An enhanced cavity swelling zone adjacent to the void-denuded zone was observed in specimens with low to moderate sink strength and interpreted as evidence of 1D gliding interstitial clusters. Radiation-enhanced diffusional broadening of implanted Ni ions (at 400–550 °C) in Fe and Fe-Cr was up to 250 nm toward the surface, which leads to a much broader near-peak-damage region where cavity swelling is suppressed. Diffusional broadening of implanted ions is calculated to be similarly pronounced for self-ion irradiations, particularly near the peak and higher swelling temperature regimes. Adequately high ion energies (~8–15 MeV) are recommended for ion-irradiation studies to provide a sufficiently broad midrange safe analysis region with minimized surface and injected ion effects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Comparison of Radiation-Induced and High-Field Electrically Stress-Induced Interface Defects in Si/SiO 2 MOSFETs via Electrically Detected Magnetic Resonance

Here, we utilize electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) measurements to compare high-field stressed, and gamma irradiated Si/SiO 2 metal–oxide–silicon (MOS) structures. We utilize spin-dependent recombination (SDR) EDMR detected using the Fitzgerald and Grove dc I-V approach to compare the effects of high-field electrical stressing and gamma irradiation on defect formation at and near the Si/SiO 2 interface. As anticipated, both greatly increase the concentration of P b centers (silicon dangling bonds at the interface) densities. The irradiation also generated a significant increase in the dc I-V EDMR response of E' centers (oxygen vacancies in the SiO 2 films), whereas the generation of an E' EDMR response in high-field stressing is much weaker than in the gamma irradiation case. These results likely suggest a difference in their physical distribution resulting from radiation damage and high electric field stressing.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Radiation Damage in Materials—Helium Effects

Despite its scarcity in terrestrial life, helium effects on microstructure evolution and thermo-mechanical properties can have a significant impact on the operation and lifetime of applications, including: advanced structural steels in fast fission reactors, plasma facing and structural materials in fusion devices, spallation neutron target designs, energetic alpha emissions in actinides, helium precipitation in tritium-containing materials, and nuclear waste materials. The small size of a helium atom combined with its near insolubility in almost every solid makes the helium–solid interaction extremely complex over multiple length and time scales. 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.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗