Radiation effects in zircon and apatite

Zircon and apatite form as actinide host phases in several high-level waste forms and have been proposed as host phases for the immobilization of plutonium and other actinides. Self-radiation damage from α-decay of the incorporated Pu (or other actinides) can affect the durability and performance of these actinide-bearing phases. Natural zircons and apatites, with ages up to 4 billion years, provide abundant evidence for their long-term durability because of their wide spread use in geochronology and fission-track dating. Detailed studies of natural zircons and apatites, 238Pu-containing zircon, a 244Cm-containing silicate apatite, and ion-irradiated zircon, natural apatite, and synthetic silicate apatites provide a unique basis for the analysis of α-decay effects over broad time scales. Recent results of some of these studies are presented here