In situ NRA study of hydrogen isotope exchange in self-ion damaged tungsten exposed to neutral atoms

•First study of isotope exchange on surface and in bulk of self-ion damaged tungsten by exposure to neutral atoms.•In situ study by ion beam techniques NRA and ERDA.•Modelling of the isotope exchange mechanism.

Isotope exchange was studied in-situ by Nuclear Reaction Analysis in the bulk of self-ion damaged tungsten at 600 K. Both variations of isotope exchange of H by D and of D by H were measured. The deuterium isothermal desorption was also studied and evaluated in order to be able to resolve the self-desorption from the isotope exchange at 600 K. The isotope exchange was also studied on the surface by Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis at 480 K and 380 K. The exchange mechanism was effective both on the surface and in the bulk of damaged tungsten. A simple model was introduced to describe the exchange efficiency on the surface and in the bulk obtaining the exchange cross sections on the surface and in bulk. In both cases an isotope effect was observed, where the exchange of H atoms by D atoms was more efficient than for the reverse sequence.