Experimental Study of Combined Effects of Gamma and Laser Radiations on the Properties of Silicate Glass Materials

Abstract

Effect of 60 Co γ-ray radiation at room temperature up to a dose of 5⋅10 7 Gy on the parameters of laser-generated plasma ions at the surface of single crystalline silicon and multicomponent silicate glass targets is investigated using time-of-flight mass spectrometer based on an electrostatic energy analyzer. The main impact of the radiation is observed in the charge state of the plasma ions: for small energy ions the charge increases with increasing the radiation dose, whereas the increase in the radiation dose results in the decrease of the charge of high-energy ions. The maximum energy of the ions also decreases with increasing the radiation dose. Effect of point defects created by metal atom inclusions on the absorption properties of silicate glasses is also studied. The defects decrease the resistance of the glasses to optical damage as they become centers of intense light absorption.