Experimental evidence of crystalline hillocks created by irradiation of CeO2 with swift heavy ions: TEM study

In this study, CeO2 was irradiated with 200 MeV Au ions at oblique incidence. Observation of as-irradiated samples by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that hillocks are created not only at the wide surfaces, but also at the crack faces of the thin samples. Since the hillocks created at the crack faces can be imaged by TEM, their shape and crystallographic features can be revealed. From the images of hillocks created at the crack faces, many of the hillocks are found to be spherical. We present the first experimental evidence that hillocks created for CeO2 irradiated with swift heavy ions have a crystal structure whose lattice spacing and orientation coincide with those of the matrix. The mechanism of spherical crystalline hillock formation is discussed based on the present results.

[1]  C. Trautmann,et al.  Redox response of actinide materials to highly ionizing radiation , 2015, Nature Communications.

[2]  S. Starikov,et al.  Atomistic simulation of ion track formation in UO2 , 2014, Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal.

[3]  K. Yasuda,et al.  Atomic structure of ion tracks in Ceria , 2014 .

[4]  I. Charit,et al.  Fabrication of Cermets via Spark-Plasma Sintering for Nuclear Applications , 2014 .

[5]  H. Sugai,et al.  Electronic stopping power dependence of ion-track size in UO2 irradiated with heavy ions in the energy range of ∼1 MeV/u , 2013 .

[6]  G. Szenes Coulomb explosion at low and high ion velocities , 2013 .

[7]  C. Trautmann,et al.  Nano-hillock formation in diamond-like carbon induced by swift heavy projectiles in the electronic stopping regime: Experiments and atomistic simulations , 2012 .

[8]  C. Trautmann,et al.  Nanometric transformation of the matter by short and intense electronic excitation: Experimental data versus inelastic thermal spike model , 2012 .

[9]  C. Trautmann,et al.  Reply to ``Comment on `Dense and nanometric electronic excitations induced by swift heavy ions in an ionic CaF 2 crystal: Evidence for two thresholds of damage creation' '' , 2012 .

[10]  Dieter Wolf,et al.  Comparison of point-defect clustering in irradiated CeO2 and UO2: A unified view from molecular dynamics simulations and experiments , 2011 .

[11]  C. Trautmann,et al.  Single ion induced surface nanostructures: a comparison between slow highly charged and swift heavy ions , 2011, Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal.

[12]  K. Yasuda,et al.  Accumulation of radiation damage and disordering in MgAl2O4 under swift heavy ion irradiation , 2011 .

[13]  C. Trautmann,et al.  Thermal annealing mechanisms of latent fission tracks: Apatite vs. zircon , 2011 .

[14]  G. Szenes Comparison of two thermal spike models for ion–solid interaction , 2011 .

[15]  D. Yun,et al.  Irradiation effects in UO2 and CeO2 , 2010 .

[16]  J. C. Eilbeck,et al.  Persistent mobile lattice excitations in a crystalline insulator , 2010 .

[17]  L. Thomé,et al.  Radiation tolerance of fluorite-structured oxides subjected to swift heavy ion irradiation , 2009 .

[18]  O. Michikami,et al.  Oxygen defects created in CeO2 irradiated with 200 MeV Au ions , 2009 .

[19]  M. Schleberger,et al.  Calculation of electronic stopping power along glancing swift heavy ion tracks in perovskites using ab initio electron density data , 2008, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter.

[20]  A. S. El-Said Tracks of 30-MeV C60 clusters in yttrium iron garnet studied by scanning force microscopy , 2008 .

[21]  M. Kinoshita,et al.  Electronic excitation effects in CeO2 under irradiations with high-energy ions of typical fission products , 2006 .

[22]  K. Awazu,et al.  Structure of latent tracks in rutile single crystal of titanium dioxide induced by swift heavy ions , 2006 .

[23]  A. C. Pandey,et al.  SHI induced surface modification studies of HOPG using STM , 2006 .

[24]  C. Trautmann,et al.  Characterization of swift heavy ion tracks in CaF2 by scanning force and transmission electron microscopy , 2005 .

[25]  R. Scholz,et al.  Cylindrical nanopores in NiO induced by swift heavy ions , 2005 .

[26]  G. Szenes Ion-induced amorphization in ceramic materials , 2005 .

[27]  R. Jonckheere,et al.  Track formation in fluorapatite irradiated with energetic cluster ions , 2004 .

[28]  S. Della-Negra,et al.  Vortex Phase Diagram in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ with Damage Tracks Created by 30 MeV Fullerene Irradiation , 2004, cond-mat/0404229.

[29]  R. Neumann,et al.  Correction of systematic errors in scanning force microscopy images with application to ion track micrographs , 2003 .

[30]  E. Jacquet,et al.  Study of swift heavy ion tracks on crystalline quartz surfaces , 2003 .

[31]  E. Bringa Molecular dynamics simulations of Coulomb explosion , 2003 .

[32]  C. Ronchi,et al.  Fission-Fragment Spikes in Uranium Dioxide. , 2002 .

[33]  M. Lang,et al.  Ion tracks on LiF and CaF2 single crystals characterized by scanning force microscopy , 2002 .

[34]  H. Matzke,et al.  Transmission electron microscopy observation on irradiation-induced microstructural evolution in high burn-up UO2 disk fuel , 2002 .

[35]  R. E. Johnson,et al.  Coulomb explosion and thermal spikes. , 2001, Physical review letters.

[36]  C. Trautmann,et al.  Tracks of swift heavy ions in graphite studied by scanning tunneling microscopy , 2001 .

[37]  Y. Toporov,et al.  Swift heavy ion irradiation effect on the surface of sapphire single crystals , 2001 .

[38]  L. Biró,et al.  A model for the hillock formation on graphite surfaces by 246 MeV Kr+ ions. , 2001, Ultramicroscopy.

[39]  H. Matzke,et al.  Swift heavy ion and fission damage effects in UO2 , 2000 .

[40]  R. Neumann,et al.  Scanning force microscopy of heavy-ion induced damage in lithium fluoride single-crystals , 2000 .

[41]  K. Une,et al.  Depth profiles of damage accumulation in UO2 and (U,Gd)O2 pellets irradiated with 100 MeV iodine ions , 1999 .

[42]  S. Della-Negra,et al.  Microscopic observations of metallic inclusions generated along the path of MeV clusters in CaF2 , 1998 .

[43]  S. Della-Negra,et al.  Damage creation in α-Al2O3 by MeV fullerene impacts , 1998 .

[44]  S. Della-Negra,et al.  Tracks induced in CaF2 by MeV cluster irradiation , 1998 .

[45]  S. Della-Negra,et al.  Tracks in YIG induced by MeV C60 ions , 1998 .

[46]  S. Della-Negra,et al.  Track separation due to dissociation of MeV C60 inside a solid , 1997 .

[47]  H. Matzke,et al.  An electron microscopy study of the RIM structure of a UO2 fuel with a high burnup of 7.9% FIMA , 1997 .

[48]  M. Coquerelle,et al.  Detailed characterisation of the rim microstructure in PWR fuels in the burn-up range 40–67 GWd/tM , 1996 .

[49]  A. Hallén,et al.  Radiation damage features on mica and L-valine probed by scanning force microscopy , 1995 .

[50]  A. Hallén,et al.  Scanning force microscopy study of surface tracks induced in mica by 78.2-MeV 127I ions , 1995 .

[51]  Szenes General features of latent track formation in magnetic insulators irradiated with swift heavy ions. , 1995, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[52]  D. R. Collins,et al.  Lattice-solitons and non-linear phenomena in track formation , 1995 .

[53]  Kazuhiro Nogita,et al.  Radiation-induced microstructural change in high burnup UO2 fuel pellets , 1994 .

[54]  Y. Pennec,et al.  STM and AFM observations of latent tracks , 1993 .

[55]  C. Walker,et al.  Concerning the microstructure changes that occur at the surface of UO2 pellets on irradiation to high burnup , 1992 .

[56]  M. E. Cunningham,et al.  Development and characteristics of the rim region in high burnup UO2 fuel pellets , 1992 .

[57]  F. M. Russell Identification and selection criteria for charged lepton tracks in mica , 1988 .

[58]  J. Ziegler,et al.  stopping and range of ions in solids , 1985 .

[59]  T. Tombrello,et al.  A thermalized ion explosion model for high energy sputtering and track registration , 1980 .