Study of Dislocation Loops in Ion-Irradiated Tungsten Using X-Ray Diffuse Scattering

As the material of choice for the divertor wall in tokamak fusion reactors, tungsten is exposed to high levels of radiation. As a result, a large amount of defects form inside the crystal, leading to significant changes in its thermal-mechanical properties. Therefore, it is important to understand the types and sizes of radiation-induces defects. X-ray diffuse scattering around Bragg peaks has been developed as a technique to solve this problem. By applying this technique to ion-irradiated tungsten, we have obtained quantitative data on the size-distribution of dislocation loops under different radiation levels.