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Admiral Hyman Rickover Graduate Fellowship Program in Nuclear Engineering
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Naval Reactors Division
Tucker, Julie Dehn

School: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Began Rickover Fellowship: September 2003

Lab Assignment: KAPL, Summer 2005 and Summer 2006

Lab Mentor: Dr. Reza Najafabadi

Degree(s):
B.S. Nuclear Engineering, University of Missouri, Rolla, May 2003
M.S. Nuclear Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, December 2005

Expected Graduation Date: December 2008

University Advisor: Professors Todd Allen and Dane Morgan

Field of Study: Nuclear Engineering and Computational Materials Science

Email Address: jdtucker@wisc.edu

Summary of Research:
We have constructed a diffusion model for dilute fcc alloys using statistical mechanics based models and the rate expressions from transition state theory. These rates have been parameterized by ab initio calculations for the Ni-Cr and Ni-Fe systems and include vibrational and electronic excitation contributions. This approach provides new understanding of the defect-solute interactions and migration mechanisms in these alloys. New discoveries includes: 1) strong Cr-interstitial binding 2) weak binding of Cr and Fe to vacancies and 3) Cr diffuses faster through the interstitial flux than Ni or Fe. This model and insight has been applied to the study of radiation-induced segregation (RIS) which has been a studied in Fe-Ni-Cr alloys for over 30 years with no definitive conclusion on the dominant mechanisms. While substantial progress has been made in the area of RIS prediction by empirical fitting, the predictive capability has been hindered by the lack of adequate energetic parameters. For the first time, we parameterize a RIS model with ab initio based diffusion coefficients in the Ni-Fe-Cr system.

Publications:

  1. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen and D. Morgan, Quantum Mechanical Based Determination of Diffusion in Ni-Cr, American Nuclear Society Transactions, Vol. 98, June 2008, p. 1026-27

  2. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen and D. Morgan, Interstitial diffusion properties in dilute Ni-Cr and Ni-Fe alloys , SRMP 2007 Annual Report, (CEA Saclay, 2008) p. 14

  3. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen and D. Morgan, Ab InitioDefect Properties for Modeling Radiation-Induced Segregation in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, Proceedings of the 13 th International Symposium on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems, Whistler, BC Canada, August 19 - 23 (2007).

  4. J. D. Tucker, T. R. Allen and D. Morgan, Ab Initio-based Defect Properties for Radiation-induced Segregation Modeling in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, Transactions of the American Nuclear Society and The European Nuclear Society 2007 International Conference, Vol. 97 p. 642.

  5. T. R. Allen,  L. Tan, J. D. Tucker, J. Gan, G. Gupta,  G. S. Was, S. Shutthanandan, and S. Thevuthasan, Radiation Resistance of Advanced Ferritic-Martensitic Steel HCM12A, Journal of ASTM International, September 2005, Vol. 2, No. 8 Paper ID JAI12382.

    Presentations:

  6. J.D. Tucker , T.R. Allen, D. Morgan, Ab initio-based diffusion properties for radiation-induced segregation modeling in Ni-Fe-Cr, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, April 3 (2008) [Invited]

  7. J.D. Tucker , T.R. Allen, D. Morgan, Ab Initio-based Diffusion Properties for Radiation-induced Segregation Modeling in Ni-Fe-Cr Alloys, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, February 25 (2008) [Invited]

  8. J.D. Tucker, T.R. Allen, R.Najafabadi, D. Morgan, Ab Initio-based Defect Properties for Radiation-induced Segregation Modeling in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, Bettis Laboratory, West Mifflin, PA, February 28 (2008) [Invited]

  9. J.D. Tucker, T.R. Allen, R.Najafabadi, D. Morgan, Ab Initio-based Defect Properties for Radiation-induced Segregation Modeling in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, Niskayuna, NY, February 11 (2008) [Invited]

  10. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen, R. Najafabadi and D. Morgan, Ab Initio-based Radiation-induced Segregation Modeling in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, TMS Annual Meeting and Exhibition, New Orleans, LA, March 9-13 (2008) [Oral and Poster Presentation]

  11. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen, R. Najafabadi and D. Morgan, Ab Initio-based Radiation-induced Segregation Modeling in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, Materials Research Society Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, November 26-30 (2007)

  12. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen, R. Najafabadi and D. Morgan, Ab Initio-based Defect Properties for Radiation-induced Segregation Modeling in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, American Nuclear Society and The European Nuclear Society 2007 International Conference, Washington D.C., November 11-15 (2007) [Oral and Poster Presentation]

  13. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen, D. Morgan, Frédéric Soisson, Maylise Nastar and Alain Barbu, SFANS/ANS Student Exchange,SFANS Meeting, October 12 (2007) [Invited]

  14. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen and D. Morgan, Ab Initio-based Diffusion Properties for Radiation-induced Segregation Modeling in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, International School on Modelling of Irradiation Damage, Rochehaut, Belgium, October (2007)

  15. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen, and D. Morgan, Ab Initio-based Diffusion Properties in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, SRMP group meeting at CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France, September 20 (2007) [Invited]

  16. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen and D. Morgan, Ab InitioDefect Properties for Modeling Radiation-Induced Segregation in Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys, 13 th International Symposium on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems, Whistler, BC Canada, August 19 - 23 (2007).

  17. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen, D. Morgan and R. Najafabadi, Ab Initio -based Thermokinetics of the Ni-Cr Binary, TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition, Orlando, FL February 25-March 1 (2007)

  18. J. D. Tucker , J. Liu, T. R. Allen, D. Morgan and R. Najafabadi, Ab Initio -based Thermokinetics of the Ni-Cr Binary, MRS Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, November 27 – December 1 (2006)

  19. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen, D. Morgan and R. Najafabadi, Ab Initio -based Modeling of Thermokinetics of the Ni-Cr System, MedeA User’s Group Meeting, Saratoga, NY, October 12-13 (2006) [Invited]

  20. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen, R. Najafabadi and D. Morgan, Comvined Ab Initio and Thermokinetic Study of the Fe-Ni-Cr System, Ab initio Description of Iron and Steel Workshop, Tegernsee, Germany, February (2006) [Poster]

  21. J. D. Tucker , T. R. Allen, D. Morgan and R. Najafabadi, Ab Initio Calculations of Point Defect Formation and Migration in the FCC Fe-Ni-Cr System, TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition, San Antonio, TX, March 12-16 (2006)

  22. J. D. Tucker and T. R. Allen, Radiation Induced Segregation Effects on Void Growth, NATO Advanced Study Institute’s 32 nd Course of the International School of Solid State Physics, Erice, Sicily, Italy, July 19-29 (2004) [Poster]
Updated November 24, 2008
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