Scientists are using powerful neutron beams to help safeguard US Navy nuclear submarines by uncovering hidden stresses and microscopic flaws in their steel pressure hull welds, according to Georgina Jedikovska of Intersting Engineering. Working with the Navy, Electric Boat, and the University of Connecticut, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory employed neutron diffraction and radiography to non-destructively map internal stresses linked to ductility dip cracking in advanced naval alloys. The findings are improving models that predict when welding conditions may cause cracking, helping engineers refine construction techniques and enhance the long-term safety and structural integrity of submarines operating under extreme deep-ocean pressures. Jedikovska writes:

Scientists have turned to neutron beams to help protect the US Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines, which operate under some of the most extreme pressure and temperature conditions on Earth.