  This study explores the impact of temperature on defect dynamics in tungsten,
emphasizing its application in nuclear fusion reactors as Plasma Facing
Components (PFCs). Through atomistic simulations, the research elucidates the
intricate interplay of defect production, annihilation, and redistribution
under irradiation at room (300K) and elevated temperatures (1000K). It
demonstrates that higher temperatures significantly increase the number and
mobility of defects, leading to a substantial rise in the total number of
surviving Frenkel Pairs (FPs), with a notable preference for surface
distribution. This redistribution is attributed to energy gradient-driven
relocation processes, enhanced by the defects' increased mobility at elevated
temperatures. Moreover, the study reveals that elevated temperatures promote
biased accumulation of interstitial defects in grain boundaries, especially in
configurations that facilitate efficient interstitial migration, indicating a
strategy for minimizing lattice interstitial accumulation under irradiation.
These findings underscore the critical role of temperature in modulating
irradiation-induced defect dynamics in tungsten, providing valuable insights
for designing and selecting materials with optimized irradiation resistance for
use in extreme conditions of nuclear fusion reactors. The research suggests a
material design approach that accounts for temperature effects to enhance the
durability and performance of nuclear fusion materials.
