Dynamics of Hydrogen Species in the Presence of a He Bubble within SiC

Molecular dynamic simulations are performed with LAMMPS to assess the effect of He bubbles on H diffusion energetics and the mechanical properties of SiC. Silicon carbide (SiC) is currently being studied as a plasma facing material in tokamak fusion devices due to its excellent thermo-mechanical/chemical properties, irradiation tolerance, and low-activation. During the fusion process, helium and hydrogen atoms are implanted into the near-surface region of plasma-facing components. The helium atoms form bubbles that degrade the mechanical properties of the material, and affect transport and retention of hydrogen. The hypothesis is the hydrogen atoms will migrate towards the helium bubbles and induce structural degradation. This information can then be used to better understand the synergistic effects between He bubbles and H in SiC. The results can then be compared to that of similar simulations done on tungsten to illustrate if SiC is as applicable as the current leading plasma facing material.