The limiting net water decomposition yield with high LET radiation

The yields of ferrous ions in the radiolysis of 0.8 N H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ solutions of ferrous sulfate have been determined with 20 MeV /sup 7/Li, /sup 9/Be, /sup 11/B, and /sup 12/C ions. The yields of H atoms which escape the particle track decreases from 0.73 to 0.29 molecules/100 eV with increase in particle mass and charge and are appreciable even though the LET varies from 10 to 100 eV/A. The limiting net water decomposition yield by heavy ions at very high LET is estimated as 2.8 molecules/100 eV, independent of the particle, which is very similar to that found with fast electrons