Characterizing the recovery of a solid surface after tungsten nano-tendril formation

Recovery of a flat tungsten surface from a nano-tendril surface is attempted through three techniques; a mechanical wipe, a 1673&nbsp;K annealing, and laser-induced thermal transients. Results were determined through SEM imaging and elastic recoil detection to assess the helium content in the surface. The mechanical wipe leaves a ∼0.5&nbsp;μm deep layer of nano-tendrils on the surface post-wipe regardless of the initial nano-tendril layer depth. Laser-induced thermal transients only significantly impact the surface morphology at heat loads of 35.2&nbsp;MJ/m2&nbsp;s1/2 or above, however a fully flat or recovered surface was not achieved for 100 transients at this heat load despite reducing the helium content by a factor of ∼7. A 1673&nbsp;K annealing removes all detectable levels of helium but sub-surface voids/bubbles remain intact. The surface is recovered to a nearly flat state with only some remnants of nano-tendrils re-integrating into the surface remaining.</p

Helium concentration in tungsten nano-tendril surface morphology using Elastic Recoil Detection

Helium (He) concentrations in tungsten nano-tendrils (W fuzz) have been measured for the first time using Elastic Recoil Detection (ERD). Fuzzy and non-fuzzy W surfaces were analyzed in order to illuminate the role of He in the transition in surface morphologies. Samples grown in the PISCES-A and PILOT-PSI experiments allowed a survey of surface temperature ranging from Ts 470–2595 K and of He fluence on the order of ΦHe ∼1024–1027 ions/m2. He concentrations measured in the bulk of W fuzz layers are roughly uniform with bulk He concentration 1–4 at.% while samples with just He in the near surface peaked at 1–2 at.%. This confirms that the nano-tendrils are filled with high pressure He bubbles since the solubility of He in W is ∼10−5 at.%. This indicates that the ∼1000 K temperature fuzz-growth threshold is determined by the response of the W, not the near-surface He concentration

Helium concentration in tungsten nano-tendril surface morphology using Elastic Recoil Detection

Helium (He) concentrations in tungsten nano-tendrils (W fuzz) have been measured for the first time using Elastic Recoil Detection (ERD). Fuzzy and non-fuzzy W surfaces were analyzed in order to illuminate the role of He in the transition in surface morphologies. Samples grown in the PISCES-A and PILOT-PSI experiments allowed a survey of surface temperature ranging from Ts 470–2595 K and of He fluence on the order of ΦHe ∼1024–1027 ions/m2. He concentrations measured in the bulk of W fuzz layers are roughly uniform with bulk He concentration 1–4 at.% while samples with just He in the near surface peaked at 1–2 at.%. This confirms that the nano-tendrils are filled with high pressure He bubbles since the solubility of He in W is ∼10−5 at.%. This indicates that the ∼1000 K temperature fuzz-growth threshold is determined by the response of the W, not the near-surface He concentration

Characterizing the recovery of a solid surface after tungsten nano-tendril formation

Abstract Recovery of a flat tungsten surface from a nano-tendril surface is attempted through three techniques; a mechanical wipe, a 1673 K annealing, and laser-induced thermal transients. Results were determined through SEM imaging and elastic recoil detection to assess the helium content in the surface. The mechanical wipe leaves a ∼0.5 μm deep layer of nano-tendrils on the surface post-wipe regardless of the initial nano-tendril layer depth. Laser-induced thermal transients only significantly impact the surface morphology at heat loads of 35.2 MJ/m2 s1/2 or above, however a fully flat or recovered surface was not achieved for 100 transients at this heat load despite reducing the helium content by a factor of ∼7. A 1673 K annealing removes all detectable levels of helium but sub-surface voids/bubbles remain intact. The surface is recovered to a nearly flat state with only some remnants of nano-tendrils re-integrating into the surface remaining

Helium effects on tungsten under fusion-relevant plasma loading conditions

Experiments were performed in the Pilot-PSI linear plasma device to study the formation of helium-induced nanostructures under high heat fluxes (>10 MW m-2), the erosion of a tungsten surface at the elevated temperatures where those structures typically form and most importantly the behavior of a helium-induced fibreform structure during ELM-like pulses. A strong correlation between the characteristic size of the helium-induced morphology and the size of the voids observed in the near-surface region has been found, and both increase in size with increasing temperatures. Temperature-dependent erosion of tungsten surfaces was observed despite the ion energy being below the sputtering threshold, with an exponential increase of the erosion for temperatures higher than 2400 °C. The same effect was observed during ELM-like plasma pulses. Finally, a complete disappearance of the tungsten fibreform structure was observed after only one plasma pulse for energy densities higher than 0.5 MJ m-2

Helium effects on tungsten under fusion-relevant plasma loading conditions

Experiments were performed in the Pilot-PSI linear plasma device to study the formation of helium-induced nanostructures under high heat fluxes (&amp;gt;10 MW m−2), the erosion of a tungsten surface at the elevated temperatures where those structures typically form and most importantly the behavior of a helium-induced fibreform structure during ELM-like pulses. A strong correlation between the characteristic size of the helium-induced morphology and the size of the voids observed in the near-surface region has been found, and both increase in size with increasing temperatures. Temperature-dependent erosion of tungsten surfaces was observed despite the ion energy being below the sputtering threshold, with an exponential increase of the erosion for temperatures higher than 2400 °C. The same effect was observed during ELM-like plasma pulses. Finally, a complete disappearance of the tungsten fibreform structure was observed after only one plasma pulse for energy densities higher than 0.5 MJ m−2

Helium effects on tungsten under fusion-relevant plasma loading conditions

Experiments were performed in the Pilot-PSI linear plasma device to study the formation of helium-induced nanostructures under high heat fluxes (&amp;gt;10 MW m−2), the erosion of a tungsten surface at the elevated temperatures where those structures typically form and most importantly the behavior of a helium-induced fibreform structure during ELM-like pulses. A strong correlation between the characteristic size of the helium-induced morphology and the size of the voids observed in the near-surface region has been found, and both increase in size with increasing temperatures. Temperature-dependent erosion of tungsten surfaces was observed despite the ion energy being below the sputtering threshold, with an exponential increase of the erosion for temperatures higher than 2400 °C. The same effect was observed during ELM-like plasma pulses. Finally, a complete disappearance of the tungsten fibreform structure was observed after only one plasma pulse for energy densities higher than 0.5 MJ m−2