Tool studying radiation effects combines atomic force microscopy with X-ray source
DOI: 10.1063/10.0007126
Tool studying radiation effects combines atomic force microscopy with X-ray source lead image
Understanding the impacts of radiation is critical to materials development in a range of fields and scenarios, from nuclear reactors and nuclear waste repositories to high-powered medical equipment to applications in space. While the effects of radiation can be inferred after irradiation, it is “best to make observations during irradiation at the scale of the changes taking place,” said co-author Shawn Riechers.
Riechers et al. overcome previous limitations to achieving this ideal, demonstrating a method that combines an X-ray source with an atomic force microscope (AFM) to directly monitor irradiation effects – changes in radiolytically driven interfacial chemistry – at the nanoscale.
The study showcases two examples: the instant, reversible effect of radiation on the adhesion between the nanometer scale AFM probe and a mica surface; and nitrate mineral growth from a salt crystal over time due to reactions with chemicals present in irradiated air.
With few exceptions, measurements of radiation-induced changes are carried out after irradiation, because it is difficult to safely introduce ionizing radiation to sensitive equipment.
One exception uses electron microscopy. However, with this, it is hard to control the sample environment, and “there’s always a lingering question about how it compares to real world applications,” said Riechers.
The approach provides a benchtop solution, decoupling the radiation source from the measurement, and can be applied in almost any desired gas or solution condition.
The AFM implements dozens of imaging modes that directly measure various physical properties at the nanoscale, including hardness, magnetic domains, and electrical properties. This capability will benefit current irradiation studies, open new avenues of research, and abet pressing challenges such as processing nuclear waste.
Source: “Integrated atomic force microscopy and X-ray irradiation for in-situ characterization of radiation-induced processes,” by Shawn L. Riechers, Nikolai Petrik, John S. Loring, Mark K. Murphy, Carolyn I. Pearce, Greg A. Kimmel, and Kevin M. Rosso, Review of Scientific Instruments (2021). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0054646 .
