Thermo-mechanical simulations of laser heating experiments on UO<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si7.svg"><mml:msub><mml:mrow /><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math>

In this paper, a thermo-mechanical model suitable for the interpretation of laser heating experiments simulating power increasing phase RIA transient on UO2 samples is detailed. The thermal includes description heat deposition sample surface and transfer within thickness radius sample. mechanical describes cracking crushing material depending loading mode (tension or compression dominated) temperature. brittle - ductile transition in particular well reproduced. parameters fitting based available uniaxial tests performed at high strain rates bending moderate rates. application to annular led good estimation location (near periphery), crack orientation (circumferential) beginning cracking.