In situ study of defect migration kinetics and self-healing of twin boundaries in heavy ion irradiated nanotwinned metals

High energy particles introduce severe radiation damage in metallic materials, such as Ag. Here we report on the study on twin boundary (TB) affected zone in irradiated nanotwinned Ag wherein time accumulative defect density and defect diffusivity are substantially different from those in twin interior. In situ studies also reveal surprising resilience and self-healing of TBs in response to radiation. This study provides further support for the design of radiation-tolerant nanotwinned metallic materials.