Theoretical study of reaction dynamics in radiation chemistry

The period from late 1950's to early 1970's was golden age of radiation chemistry. During this period the hydrated electron was discovered, various new phenomena were found in ionic processes in liquid hydrocarbons, and the trapped electron and electron tunneling were discovered in organic glasses. In those days radiation chemistry was a vast treasure-house of theoretical problems. We could find not only problems special to radiation chemistry but also many problems interesting as general physical chemistry. In this review I explain how some theoretical problems discovered in the field of radiation chemistry have evolved into those of general physical chemistry, with special emphasis on my own work. (author)