Atomistic simulation of track formation in nuclear fuels due to heavy ion irradiation

¹ Joint Institute for High Temperatures of RAS, 13, Izhorskaya st., Bd.2, Moscow, Russia
² Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9, Institutskii per., Dolgoprudny, Russia
³ Nuclear Safety Institute, Bol’shaya Tul’skaya st. Moscow, Russia

^* Corresponding Author, starikov@ihed.ras.ru

Abstract

At moving of the swift heavy ion (e.g. Xe ion - the typical fission fragment), the track formation takes place in nuclear materials. There is a large interest in understanding of the mechanisms of this process. In this work, the atomistic simulation of track formation due to the swift heavy ion irradiation is performed for various nuclear materials (U, UO2). The two-temperature atomistic model with explicit account of electron pressure and electron thermal conductivity is used. This two-temperature model describes ionic subsystem by means of molecular dynamics while the electron subsystem is considered in the continuum approach. The various mechanisms of track formation are examined.