Formation process of tungsten nanostructure by the exposure to helium plasma under fusion relevant plasma conditions

TLDR

Helium irradiation of tungsten produces nanometre‑scale fibre‑like surface structures that can compromise fusion reactor performance, and similar nanostructuring has been observed on other metals. Helium irradiation experiments in the NAGDIS‑I divertor simulator uncover the initial nanostructure formation process. The nanostructure forms readily at 1000–2000 K when ion energies exceed 20 eV, originating from bulk pinholes that evolve into finer surface features, and similar structures appear on molybdenum.

Abstract

Helium irradiation on tungsten changes the surface morphology dramatically by forming a nanometre-sized fibreform structure which could bring about serious problems for fusion reactors. From the experimental results in liner divertor simulators, it is revealed that the incident ion energy and surface temperature are key parameters for the formation of the structure. It is shown that the tungsten nanostructure is easily formed when the temperature is in the range 1000–2000 K, and the incident ion energy is higher than 20 eV. Furthermore, on the basis of the helium irradiation experiments performed in the divertor simulator NAGDIS-I, the initial formation process of the nanostructure is revealed. It is shown that the nanostructure formation is related to pinholes appearing on the bulk part of the material, and then, the rough structure develops to a much finer nanostructure. The nanostructure was also observed on the molybdenum surface that was exposed to the helium plasma. It increases interest in the possibility that nanostructure formation by helium irradiation is a common phenomenon that occurs on various metals.