SUMMARY

The overall purpose of this dissertation is to develop multi-scale models that can simulate defect accumulation and subsequent macroscopic material property changes across a broad range of time and length scales. These models are then used to study radiation effects in a variety of metallic systems and radiation damage conditions, including neutron, light ion, and self-ion irradiation of nano-laminates, thin films, nano-grained materials, and bulk materials.

In this dissertation, an advanced simulation tool called spatially resolved stochastic cluster dynamics (SRSCD) is developed to simulate radiation defect accumulation in spatially resolved contexts, including the effects of displacement cascades and interfaces. The development of SRSCD and its application in a multi-scale framework to predict defect accumulation and hardening in metals represents the first such simulation of macroscopic material changes using radiation damage produced in simulations. The tools and understanding of defect behavior developed here will allow predictive modeling of metal degradation in reactor-relevant damage environments.