Theory of the late stage of radiolysis of alkali halides

Recent results on heavily irradiated natural and synthetic NaCl crystals give evidence for the formation of large vacancy voids, which were not addressed by the conventional Jain-Lidiard model of radiation damage ill alkali halides. This model was constructed to describe metal colloids and dislocation loops formed in alkali halides during earlier stages of irradiation. We present a theory based on a new mechanism of dislocation climb, which involves the production of Vt centers (self-trapped hole neighboring a cation vacancy) as a result of the absorption of excess Il centers. Voids are shown to arise due to the reaction between F and V-F centers at the surface of halogen bubbles. Critical parameters associated with the bubble-to-void transition are evaluated. Voids can grow to sizes exceeding the mean distance between colloids and bubbles, eventually absorbing them, and, hence, igniting a back reaction between the halogen gas and metal. The amount of radiation damage in alkali halides should be evaluated with account of void formation, which strongly affects the radiation stability of material. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved