Study on the damaging process of silica by in-reactor luminescence

• Published in: Journal of nuclear materials Vol. 283; pp. 898 - 902
• Main Authors: Ii, Tatsuya, Yoshida, Tomoko, Tanabe, Tetsuo, Hara, Takanobu, Okada, Moritami, Yamaguchi, Kenji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.12.2000
• Subjects: O01; G01; S04; N01; D02
• ISSN: 0022-3115; 1873-4820
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3115(00)00160-4

We have carried out in situ luminescence measurements of silica glasses in a fission reactor. In the in-reactor-luminescence (IRL) spectra, the 300-nm band was observed for all the samples and its intensity stayed constant during irradiation. For low-OH fused silica glass, the 400-nm IRL band was also observed and reduced rapidly with irradiation, while for high-OH fused and synthesized silica glasses, the 450-nm IRL band grew slowly. The comparison with photoluminescence (PL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra showed that the decrease of the 400-nm IRL band reflects the transition of B 2β center to E ′ center by electron excitation by γ-rays, while the growth of the 450-nm IRL band related to defect formation from neutron irradiation. However, single crystal silica showed only a 300-nm IRL band, suggesting that the damaging processes are influenced by the local structure around defects as well as the OH content in silica.