3. Nuclear Materials Science

In order to maintain its economic competitiveness, while meeting safety requirements, the nuclear industry is working on improving and optimizing the performance and durability of its facilities (limiting maintenance, extending service life, maintaining properties over time, etc.). This requires precise, reliable knowledge of the behavior, resistance and properties of the materials used in these facilities.

These studies, most of which are at the cutting edge of materials science, often involve the use of new "tools". New ways of observing matter are used. Some of these studies are based on original theoretical aspects. Increasingly, numerical simulation is being used to better understand irradiation phenomena and their effects on material properties.

The science of nuclear materials, which dates back some fifty years, is multidisciplinary...