MODIFICATION BY HIGH-ENERGY ION IRRADIATION OF IRON-ALUMINA NANO-COMPOSITES

This work reports on the current observations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of nano-composites irradiated by GeV heavy ions. The composite targets consist of nanometric Fe particles dispersed in a c eramic (Al2O3) powder, Large metal particles (similar to 30 nm diamete r) are located over the alumina main surface whereas smaller particles (similar to 10 nm) are directly epitaxied in the alumina grains, The TEM micrographs show that the surface distribution of the large partic les and the orientation of the small Fe particles in the Al2O3 microme ter grains are changed by the irradiation, At high fluences, the grain s of alumina are destroyed.