High pressure during ion irradiation can alter defect formation, yet its influence on swift heavy ion (SHI) track formation remains an open question, particularly for materials used in environments combining high pressure and intense radiation. Here, we investigate the size and stability of ion tracks under static high pressure in single-crystalline $\alpha$-quartz. Using synchrotron-based small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), the ion tracks are analyzed in situ while the sample remains under pressure. The measurements reveal a systematic increase in track radius with pressure, from 3.0(1) nm at ambient pressure to 3.3(1) nm at 2.0 GPa, and further to 3.6(1) nm at 6.4 GPa. These findings are consistent with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations indicating that the pressure-induced enlargement of ion tracks is not solely attributable to the increased electronic energy loss associated with densification of compressed $\alpha$-quartz, but also reflects a direct effect of pressure itself. After decompression, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the recovered samples shows track radii that are consistent with those determined by in situ SAXS and MD simulations performed at 2.0 GPa. In contrast, for the irradiation at 6.4 GPa, the recovered tracks are approximately 1.4 times larger. Both TEM observations and MD simulations confirm that the pressure-induced increase in track size persists after pressure release. These results demonstrate that applied pressure during SHI irradiation can significantly modify the resulting damage profile, highlighting pressure as a key parameter influencing track formation.

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• Crystal phenomena
• Defects
• High-pressure studies
• Ion-induced tracks
• Relativistic heavy-ion collisions
• Insulators
• Minerals
• Nanotechnology
• Single crystal materials
• Synchrotron radiation & free-electron lasers
• High-resolution transmission electron microscopy
• Molecular dynamics
• Small-angle x-ray scattering