SPring-8, the large synchrotron radiation facility

Speaker: Dr. Malgorzata Grazyna Makowska

Language: English

Affiliation: Paul Scherrer Institute

Title: Multimodal synchrotron studies at the microXAS 2.0 for comprehensive insight into nuclear materials

Abstract:
Until October 2023, the microXAS beamline of the Swiss Light Source (SLS) synchrotron stood out for its flexibility in conducting experiments employing a wide array of techniques, including 2D and 3D imaging with X-ray diffraction- and spectroscopy- contrast. Currently, the Swiss Light Source is undergoing an upgrade to the 4th generation X-ray source. The transition to the diffraction limited storage ring (DLSR) and the introduction of a new undulator source and new optics, will significantly alter the X-ray beam characteristics of the new microXAS 2.0 beamline. This enhancement will lead to increased flux, enlarged energy range, and improved dynamic focusing capabilities, unlocking new and unique scientific studies of materials and phenomena previously beyond reach. A unique, dynamic transition between pink and monochromatic beams, as well as focused and unfocused beams, will become more readily accessible, to enable multimodal studies with complementary techniques. As the only beamline of SLS, microXAS holds a license for handling radioactive specimens. Besides the new capabilities of microXAS 2.0, I will present recent examples of studies performed at microXAS with focus on nuclear materials, in particular:
・UO2 fuel pellet-cladding interaction in nuclear spent fuels
・chemical and structural characterization of CRUD deposits on a failed nuclear fuel rod
・Zirconium hydride phase identification and mapping within various types of cladding alloys
・3D µXRD/XRF imaging of fission gas trapped in pores in high burnup UO2 fuel combined with 3D ptychography.