Neutron damage in beryllium oxide irradiated at high temperatures

Abstract

Neutron irradiation of beryllium oxide at elevated temperatures produces dislocation loops lying on {0001} basal and prism planes. Diffraction contrast experiments in the electron microscope show that both types of loops are interstitial in nature and of pure edge orientation. The Burgers vector of the basal loops is c/2〈0001〉, and that of the prism loops is . Both types of loops increase in size with increasing neutron dose, but basal loops, which far outnumber prism loops, appear to grow at the expense of the prism loops. High dose specimens contain tubular hexagonal voids presumably filled with helium.