Scientific progress report 2 - 1975

The work in the field of radiation chemistry was carried out in the year 1975 in the following work groups: Pulsed radiolysis (P), reaction kinematics (RK), and insulators and synthetics (IK). Continuing running research work, the groups P and IK together used the electron accelerator (16 MeV linear accelerator and 1.5 MeV Van de Graaff generator) as well as a laser flash irradiation apparatus (Rubin laser). The new electron accelerator for the nanosecond region ELBENA was installed. Test runs were started. Furthermore, two additional pulsable laser devices were acquired (one of these for work in the picosecond region), which are to be put in operation in 1976. The main topic of investigation in the work group P was the solving of complex reaction mechanisms and the determination of physical-chemical properties of short-lived intermediary products in the investigation of biologically relevant and micelle systems. The problems worked on are partly closely related to problems concerning the photochemical use of solar energy. This involves, e.g., the light-induced reduction of metal ions and the photoionization in micelle systems. The work group RK continued work on elastic, inelastic and reactive scattering processes between ions and molecules as well as electron transfer processes between atoms and molecules. The problems investigated are of fundamental importance to the understanding of chemical elementary processes in the gas phase relevant to procedures in space. The work group IK concentrate on studies for the production and transport of charge carriers in hydrocarbons and liquidized noble gases; amongst others, the electron mobility in short chain paraffins and polyethylene was investigated. A further main topic of investigation was the decomposition of polymers which, amongst others, brought considerable knowledge on the motion of macromolecules and a new method of detecting the preferential solvation of macrolecules. (orig.)