Radiation damage measurements on nonmetals made during irradiation with 1 to 3 MeV electrons. Final Report

To investigate the fundamental processes producing radiation damage in nonmetals a unique facility has been developed for making optical absorption, luminescence and other measurements during irradiation with 1 to 3 MeV electrons. Measurements are made with a 13 meter long double beam spectrometer arranged so that all sensitive components, e.g., phototubes, are outside of the irradiation chamber. A computer provdies automatic control and data recording. A 256 point absorption and a 256 point luminescence spectra are recorded as often as every 40 seconds in either the 200-400 or 400-800 mm wavelength range. Samples are irradiated, at temperatures between 20 and 900 C, in an electronically controlled chamber containing He exchange gas and equipped with thin Havar windows to transmit the electron beam and high purity fused silica windows for the spectrophotometer beams. Radiation induced luminescence and absorption in the chamber windows, etc. is eliminated by the double beam spectrophotometer. Studies made with this equipment demonstrate clearly that many of the processes occurring during damage formation are transient