Radiolysis of concentrated solutions of sodium nitrate in D2O

Results are presented from a comparative investigation of the radiolysis of concentrated solutions of NaNO3 in D2O under the effect of 60Co γ-rays and 14.1-MeV fast neutrons. It was shown that, just as for solutions based on H2O, The yields of NO2- by the indirect-action mechanism depend little on the type of radiation. At the same time, in neutron irradiation, the yield by the direct-action mechanism is twice as great as in γ-radiolysis. Pulsed radiolysis was used to measure the rate constant of the reaction of a solvated electron with the NO3minus ion in D2O. The determined value of kD2O, (5.1 ± 0.7) x 109 dm3/(molexsec), was found to be almost twofold less than the analogous value for solutions in light water