Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) based on positron lifetime (PL) measurements using the pulsed low-energy positron system (PLEPS) was applied for the investigation of defects of irradiated and thermally treated reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. PLEPS results showed that the changes in the micro structure of the RPV-steel properties caused by neutron-irradiation and post-irradiation heat treatment can be well detected. From the lifetime measurements in the near-surface region (20-550n... »