Ionization of Liquids by Radiation. III. Field Dependence of the Conductivity

The conductivity of hexane under 1500-kV x rays was studied at fields up to 40 kV/cm. Conditions were attained under which the theoretical proportionality to dose rate and to plate separation was strictly obeyed. Data are also reported for diethyl ether and 1,4-dioxane, and for hexane irradiated by 2.4-keV electrons from 37Ar. Onsager's formula for probability of escape of a single ion pair describes the behavior of the conductivity of low-dielectric-constant liquids under high-energy x rays, but fails when applied to the results from 2.4-keV electrons, where an appreciable probability exists of escape of more than one ion pair from a group.