1. What is the Research Question? Amy Ging Van Vleck High School Dr. Lin Shao, Assistant Professor Department of Nuclear Engineering Texas A&M University How does radiation affect the components of a nuclear reactor?

2. Research Group Dr. Lin Shao – Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Materials Science Mark Hollander – Senior Researcher Grad Students – Michael Martin, Assel Aitkaliyeva, Di Chen Undergrads – Drew Mitchell, Josh Willis, Josey Wallace, Ethan Windsor, McIan Amos, Michael General, Alvaro Aranibar, Danny Galicki

3. Background Pressurized Water Reactor Reactor’s pressure vessel typically housed in 8” of steel

4. What is radiation? Fission

5. Effects of Radiation on Steel in the Vessel Steel under radiation Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC) Radiation + Stress + Environment

6. The mission of the Accelerator Lab at TAMU Fundamental understanding of materials behavior in nuclear reactor Simulation of materials performance in nuclear reactor Development of new materials with longer life (new reactor designs) Safer nuclear reactors with longer life- spans

7. Lab I Accelerators 200 kV Ion Accelerator150 kV Ion Accelerator10 kV Ion Accelerator Feed in Helium (He) gas Strip off electrons, making a plasma Extract positively charged ions from the plasma Accelerate ions down the line Implant ions into the sample

8. What am I doing here? My research will center around “resistivity” Atoms in a metal would like to make a lattice structure. Radiation moves atoms around in the structure and not all of the atoms will find an open lattice position to occupy. Resistivity is a measure of the defects created by radiation.

9. How do we measure resistivity? Four-Point Probe First, we find the resistance of the sample using a four-point probe. We find the resistance using the formula V= IR

10. After we have found the resistance of a sample…. We will use this formula to calculate Resistivity…. ρ= Resistivity s=distance between pins on four point probe R=resistance t=thickness of sample ρ=2πsR t>s

11. My task…. I will be calculating the Resistivity of samples of Iron (Fe) and Nickel (Ni) Samples will be implanted with Helium (He) ions at 140 keV My results will be useful because the resistivity will tell me about the defects caused by radiation.

12. In my classroom…. We will use a simple four-point probe to find resistivity My students will calculate both resistance and resistivity This project will be conducted after we have completed lessons on evaluating variables (mid-Fall semester).

13. Thank you…. To everyone who makes it possible for me to be here My husband and kids My husband and kids Van Vleck High School Math Department Van Vleck High School Math Department Van Vleck High School and ISD Administration Van Vleck High School and ISD Administration

14. BIG Thanks to… Dr. Shao and his amazing team, who have taken me in, made me one of their own, answered my numerous questions and made me feel welcome

15. Also, thanks to…. TAMU E3 Team National Science Foundation Nuclear Power Institute Texas Workforce Commission Chevron