The radiation-induced formation of hydrogen and deuterium compounds in silica as observed by Raman scattering

Radiation-induced compound formation in vitreous silica has been observed with Raman light scattering. The compounds were observed to form in silica samples that were impregnated with hydrogen (deuterium) gas and irradiated with gamma rays. Neither impregnation nor irradiation alone produced Raman-active compounds. The combination, however, did produce compounds that were identified as silicon hydrides (deuterides) and hydroxyls (deuteroxyls). In addition, the hydroxyl (deuteroxyl) band shapes differed between as received and impregnated/irradiated samples and among the different impregnated/irradiated silica samples. The principal band features were found to be due to light scattering from at least three independent modes, each of which appear to result from a different hydroxyl (deuteroxyl) genus. In contrast, the hydride (deuteride) bands behave as though they were due to scattering from a single vibrational mode.