Gamma radiation effects on some properties of YBCO

This paper reports on radiation effects of polycrystalline YBCO bulk sample irradiated by 60Co γ-rays form a dose of 1 x 106 up to 7.5 x 109 rad at room temperature on critical temperature and critical current. IR spectrum was also used to study the mechanism of the irradiation. A considerable dependence of these parameters upon irradiation dose was observed. No significant effects on critical temperature were found, but the critical current in zero magnetic field changed greatly. It shows a tendency to decrease with the increase of the irradiation dose except for a slight increase with the dose less than about 2 x 107 rad and no simple relations between critical currents and irradiation doses was found