Effects of bremsstrahlung gamma photons of 8--1500 MeV maximum energy on silicon

The efficiency of the interaction of gamma photons with silicon (coefficient of radiation damage to the nonequilibrium carrier lifetime) was determined at the maximum energy of bremsstrahlung E/sup max//sub γ/ in the range from 8 to 1500 MeV. The measurements were accurate to within 10%. The experimental results were compared with calculations of the cross section of defect formation by direct mathematical modeling of photonuclear processes using cascade and evaporation--fission models. Above the photonuclear reaction threshold the main contribution to the defect-formation process was made by high-energy primary knocked-out atoms (of energy > or approx. =200 keV)