Alpha Particle Damage in some Nuclear Fuels: Effect on Radial Distribution Function

Abstract

High energy alpha-particles which are produced by the decay of actinide compounds collide with the ions of fuels in nuclear reactors. Isolated Frenkel pairs are produced in the path of alpha-particles and lattice parameter changes in the nuclear fuel (i.e., uranium dioxide or plutonium dioxide). Some of the cation ( uranium) and anion ( oxygen) defects is randomly distributed in the crystal, results increase in some peaks in radial distribution function. Remaining cation defects have their special positions, trapped in octahedral cages, surrounded by six cations. These interstitial cations give rise to a significant, new peak, smaller than the principle peak of nearest neighbor cation-cation distance. Area below the observed pre-peak, give us information about the number of cations in the octahedral position which is also linearly dependent on the relative change in lattice parameter.