RadIAEM:Analytical Electron Microscope with in situ capability for beta, gamma active materials

这个项目与英国低碳未来的雄心有关。核能是满足英国能源需求的可靠的低碳能源，目前正在进行大量研究，开发改进的先进反应堆，以满足日益增长的电力需求。材料研究和开发是先进反应堆系统设计的重要组成部分，也是RadIAEM所关注的领域。研究和优化核动力系统中使用的材料的能力需要详细分析中子辐射对材料纳米级微观结构的影响，因为微观结构控制着材料的行为。RadIAEM是一种先进的分析电子显微镜（AEM），专门用于中子辐照材料，具有独特的实时观察纳米级和微尺度变化的能力，这些变化可能发生在高温和各种气体环境下的样品中。有了RadIAEM（放射性原位AEM），就有可能进行世界领先的研究，这对于了解中子辐照对先进核裂变和聚变反应堆材料的微观结构影响至关重要。这种类型的研究不能在大学进行，因为感兴趣的样品必须在一个特殊的实验室进行研究，所以我们将在UKAEA材料研究设施建立一个国家RadIAEM用户设施。RadIAEM将使我们能够研究导致硬化和韧性变化的纳米级辐照诱发特征，并确定我们可以定制微结构以提供改进性能的方法。在研究科学家研究纳米级微观结构的变化和纳米级成分的变化时，新型的原位能力允许将样品加热到1000℃。辐照材料（钢、镍合金、石墨和其他材料）与先进反应堆中各种感兴趣的气体环境的反应也可以用RadIAEM进行研究。RadIAEM将受益于曼彻斯特大学、伯明翰大学、牛津大学和谢菲尔德大学丰富的电子显微镜和原位透射电子显微镜（TEM）专业知识，以及UKAEA、电子物理科学成像中心（ePSIC）和SuperSTEM的主要专家。使用RadIAEM，还可以使用各种基于aem的技术研究各种材料，并提供处理各种类型TEM样品的能力。RadIAEM还将为核材料科学家，特别是将成为未来核科学家和工程师的年轻研究人员提供基于透射电镜衍射的辐照缺陷分析的高级培训，一般的AEM培训以及独特和令人兴奋的原位技术培训。

This project is related to the ambition for the UK low C future. Nuclear energy is a dependable low-C source for UK energy needs, and considerable research is in progress to develop improved advanced reactors to fill the increasing demand for power. Materials research and development is an essential part of advanced reactor system designs, and it is this area that is addressed in RadIAEM. The ability to study and optimize materials used in nuclear power systems requires the detailed analysis of the effects of neutron radiation on the nano-scale microstructure of materials, since the microstructure controls the materials behaviour. RadIAEM is an advanced Analytical Electron Microscope (AEM) dedicated for neutron-irradiated materials with the unique ability to view in real time nanoscale and microscale changes that can occur in the samples at elevated temperatures and also in a variety of gas environments. With RadIAEM (Radioactive In situ AEM) it will be possible to perform world-leading research that is essential to understand the microstructural effects of neutron irradiation on materials for advanced nuclear fission and fusion reactors. This type of research cannot be performed in universities as the samples of interest must be studied in a special laboratory, so we will establish a national RadIAEM user facility located at the UKAEA Materials Research Facility. RadIAEM will enable us to study nanoscale irradiation-induced features that cause hardening and changes in toughness as well as identify ways that we can tailor microstructures to provide improved performance. The novel in-situ capability permit specimens to be heated up to 1000C as the research scientist studies the change in nanoscale microstructure and the nanoscale changes in composition. The reaction of irradiated materials (steels, nickel alloys, graphite and other materials) with various gaseous environments of interest in advanced reactors can also be investigated in RadIAEM. RadIAEM will benefit from the wealth of electron microscopy and in situ Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) expertise at the Universities of Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford and Sheffield as well as from the major experts at UKAEA, electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC) and SuperSTEM. It will also be possible to study a wide range of materials using a variety of AEM-based techniques using RadIAEM, and also provide the ability to work with various types of TEM samples. RadIAEM will also provide advanced training in TEM diffraction-based analysis of irradiation-induced defects, general AEM training, and training in the unique and exciting in situ techniques to nuclear materials scientists, especially the young researchers, who will be tomorrow's nuclear scientists and engineers.