General information
Organisation
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.
Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.
The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
Reference
SL-DES-24-0093
Thesis topic details
Category
Condensed Matter Physics, chemistry, nanosciences
Thesis topics
Impact of microstructure in uranium dioxide (UO2) on ballistic and electronic damage
Contract
Thèse
Job description
During reactor irradiation, fuel pellets undergo a partial evolution of their microstructure. At high levels of burnup, a subdivision of grains into smaller grains in the peripheral areas of the fuel pellets - called high burn-up structure (HBS) - is observed. Similar changes also occur in the central regions of the pellets at elevated temperatures. These evolutions result from the combination of several factors, including the loss of energy from fission products. The effect of this damage could vary depending on the crystal orientation and grain size.
The main objective is therefore to understand how crystal orientation and grain size influence the damage caused by irradiation. Ion irradiation experiments will be conducted on single- and poly-crystalline UO2 samples at the JANNUS Saclay facility. In situ and ex situ characterizations using Raman and Rutherford backscattering (RBS-C) spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy with Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) will be carried out.
University / doctoral school
PHENIICS (PHENIICS)
Paris-Saclay
Thesis topic location
Site
Saclay
Requester
Position start date
01/10/2024
Person to be contacted by the applicant
GUTIERREZ GAELLE gaelle.gutierrez@cea.fr
CEA
DES/DRMP//SRMP
Tutor / Responsible thesis director
Garrido Frédérico frederico.garrido@ijclab.in2p3.fr
Université Paris-Sud
IJCLab
IJCLab, pôle E&E
Bâtiment 108, Bureau J210
15 rue Georges Clémenceau
91405 Orsay
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