Disorder and damage recovery in irradiated lithium oxide

M Yu Lavrentiev; Neil L Allan; Olivia A Hawkins

doi:10.1039/D5CP03223G

Disorder and damage recovery in irradiated lithium oxide

M Yu Lavrentiev^*, Neil L Allan, Olivia A Hawkins

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

We assess the disorder created in lithium oxide, an important candidate material fortritium breeding in fusion nuclear reactors, by high-energy neutron bombardment.Steinhardt order parameters distinguish the different local environments of Li ions inthe damaged structure, differentiating between interstitial and lattice sites. The orderparameters are also used to determine the evolution of the damage with time. Weestimate the time needed for healing to return to the pre-damaged structure over a rangeof temperatures and show that this is at a minimum at temperatures close to the workingconditions of a breeding blanket.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3668-3674
Number of pages	7
Journal	Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
Volume	28
Issue number	5
Early online date	16 Dec 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/D5CP03223G
Publication status	Published - 4 Feb 2026

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Publisher Copyright:
This journal is © the Owner Societies, 2026

Keywords

Nuclear fusion
molecular dynamics (MD) simulations
radiation damage

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10.1039/D5CP03223GLicence: Unspecified

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abstract = "We assess the disorder created in lithium oxide, an important candidate material fortritium breeding in fusion nuclear reactors, by high-energy neutron bombardment.Steinhardt order parameters distinguish the different local environments of Li ions inthe damaged structure, differentiating between interstitial and lattice sites. The orderparameters are also used to determine the evolution of the damage with time. Weestimate the time needed for healing to return to the pre-damaged structure over a rangeof temperatures and show that this is at a minimum at temperatures close to the workingconditions of a breeding blanket.",

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N2 - We assess the disorder created in lithium oxide, an important candidate material fortritium breeding in fusion nuclear reactors, by high-energy neutron bombardment.Steinhardt order parameters distinguish the different local environments of Li ions inthe damaged structure, differentiating between interstitial and lattice sites. The orderparameters are also used to determine the evolution of the damage with time. Weestimate the time needed for healing to return to the pre-damaged structure over a rangeof temperatures and show that this is at a minimum at temperatures close to the workingconditions of a breeding blanket.

AB - We assess the disorder created in lithium oxide, an important candidate material fortritium breeding in fusion nuclear reactors, by high-energy neutron bombardment.Steinhardt order parameters distinguish the different local environments of Li ions inthe damaged structure, differentiating between interstitial and lattice sites. The orderparameters are also used to determine the evolution of the damage with time. Weestimate the time needed for healing to return to the pre-damaged structure over a rangeof temperatures and show that this is at a minimum at temperatures close to the workingconditions of a breeding blanket.

KW - Nuclear fusion

KW - molecular dynamics (MD) simulations

KW - radiation damage

U2 - 10.1039/D5CP03223G

DO - 10.1039/D5CP03223G

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

SN - 1463-9076

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SP - 3668

EP - 3674

JO - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

JF - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

IS - 5

ER -

Disorder and damage recovery in irradiated lithium oxide

Abstract

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