The effect of deuterium on defect production in irradiated tungsten

For fusion test reactors and power plants, one significant concern is the retention of hydrogen isotopes in the wall materials. The build-up of the radioactive and scarce fuel isotope tritium is of special concern, but knowing the retention of the other isotopes, such as deuterium, is also important. Deuterium is known to affect the mechanical properties of the wall material and most experiments are carried out on deuterium retention as it is safer to use than tritium. In addition to affecting the mechanical properties of the wall material, deuterium retention has been observed to affect the defect accumulation in the material. In this study, we investigate the phenomena and mechanisms responsible for the greater defect accumulation observed in tungsten when deuterium is present during irradiation. This is achieved computationally, utilizing molecular dynamics simulations and appropriate analysis tools. We found that deuterium will affect both the primary defect production as well as the recombination rate of defects in irradiated tungsten.