**2.3 Nuclear fusion and fission experiments**

Ion Beam has been instrumental in the advancement of knowledge in the area of nuclear fusion and fission experiments. Most of the candidate materials that are studied over and over again for the implementation of these new nuclear reactor systems or Generations have been made possible due to innovative techniques employed under this technology. The Generation IV reactors which are to operate at high fluence and even the fusion reactor which is proposed to operate at a 14 MeV neutron source will be too difficult to study candidate materials under such conditions using test reactors [15, 16]. It is therefore good that technologies such as these are available so that accelerator facilities and computer systems can test these materials with ease. Even the cost and time involved in testing the candidate materials with test reactors in the fusion energy regime cannot be overemphasized.

Radiation damage – the production of collision cascades leading to Frenkel pairs formation (**Figure 1**) leading to the formation of point defects – is well understood through this technology [10]. The technology has helped to identify the levels of damage by different materials and this has even led to the classification of materials for different purposes. For instance, researchers have realized how strong tungsten is and hence recommended it used as the first wall of the fusion reactor system [16]. Even after such recommendations as a prime candidate for the first wall of such a reactor/ device a lot of research and testing works are being carried out to affirm its ability to withstand the level of radiation that will be produced.

**Figure 1.** *Frenkel pairs in crystals of silicon adopted from [17].*

Furthermore, the development of IBT, together with advances in knowledge, has resulted in a high pace of research originating from the fields of nuclear fusion and fission [16, 18]. The accelerator facilities have supported and armed researchers with the capability to investigate any material for use in a nuclear reactor without concern. It has relieved the strain of needing to raise criticality in nuclear reactors to test materials, among other things.
