An STM investigation of the surface structure of graphite irradiated by pulses of fission fragments

A method for processing structural materials by pulsed bombardment with fission fragments in a fuel solution reactor has been developed. The samples were irradiated with a particle fluence varied from 1011 to 5×1012 cm−2. The surface structure of a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite upon these treatments was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The spectrum of surface defects and the surface roughness of irradiated samples were determined.