Irradiation-induced microstructural transformations in UO2 accelerated upon electronic energy deposition

The combination of electronic and nuclear energy deposition can have an effect on the defect production and evolution that is not simply the sum of both independent contributions. In nuclear reactors, the fuel is exposed to the irradiation of several particles such as the fission fragments (FF) whose electronic to nuclear energy loss ratio evolves along their path. To understand the impact of this energy-loss coupling on the fuel microstructure, single and dual-beam ion irradiations of uranium dioxide (UO2) were carried out. The damage evolution was investigated by Raman spectroscopy analysis correlated with Transmission Electronic Microscopy observations. It was found a significant acceleration effect of the electronic energy dissipation on the formation and evolution of defects induced by the nuclear energy deposition. The magnitude of this acceleration was shown to depend on both the electronic energy loss level and the microstructure at the moment when the coupling occurs.