PhD Title: Data-driven modelling of irradiation induced defects in fusion materials

PhD Supervisor: Tom Hudson

Nuclear fusion promises to deliver an unlimited supply of clean, green energy, of paramount importance to help address the climate emergency. There have been recent successes in generating fusion energy – notably at the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA) reactor at Culham where record-breaking fusion energy production was demonstrated earlier this year. However, a major barrier to the wider adoption of fusion remains: the materials used to build a fusion reactor need to withstand bombardment from high-energy radiation. In the case of metals, irradiation damage can be pictured in terms of the accumulation of dislocation loops which self-organise into complex microstructures, changing the mechanical properties of the material. To predict this phenomenon accurately, new models are needed.