Theoretical Model of Helium Bubble Growth and Density in Plasma-Facing Metals

Abstract

AbstractWe present a theoretically-motivated model of helium bubble density as a function of volume for high-pressure helium bubbles in plasma-facing tungsten. The model is a good match to the empirical correlation we published previously [Hammond et al., Acta Mater. 144, 561–578 (2018)] for small bubbles, but the current model uses no adjustable parameters. The model is likely applicable to significantly larger bubbles than the ones examined here, and its assumptions can be extended trivially to other metals and gases. We expect the model to be broadly applicable and useful in coarse-grained models of gas transport in metals.