Photo of the Week - March 10, 2026

Alec Pfundheller, a graduate student intern from Texas A&M University, and his mentor, Dr. Stephen Taller from the Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division, perform transmission electron microscopy to investigate radiation damage in additively manufactured type 316 stainless steels. The image depicts patterns produced by the electrons scattering off the atomic structure of the steel, forming viewable bands. The bands serve as "roadmaps in orientation-space" to help us identify the material’s crystal orientations and how to get a good orientation for imaging. These investigations are routinely performed on irradiated materials at ORNL’s Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis (LAMDA) laboratory.

Photo Credit: Carlos Jones, Oak Ridge National Laboratory