Studies on Nonmetals During Irradiation: V, Growth and Decay of Color Centers in Barium Aluminoborate Glasses Containing Cerium

The radiation‐induced absorption of a group of barium aluminoborate glasses was studied in a new facility for measuring optical absorption during irradiation with γ‐rays. The results demonstrate that this technique provides significant new information on the kinetics of the radiation‐induced coloring of glasses and suggest that most previous measurements are, at best, suspect. Barium aluminoborate glasses, both with and without Ce, were prepared under normal and reducing conditions. The coloring during irradiation and the decay after irradiation can be characterized by the absorption at 3.0 e V and at 2.25 or 1.90 e V. The Ce‐free base glass continued to color as long as irradiated and, at a given dose, the absorption was at least 2 or 3 times that of the other glasses. The totally reduced 1% Ce glass colored to a constant level in the uv, but in the visible the coloring increased to a maximum and then decreased to a constant value. The partially reduced 1% Ce glass also colored to a constant value in the uv, but in the visible the original absorption decreased slightly. All the coloring curves recorded during irradiation are described accurately by expressions that include one or more increasing saturating exponential terms and may contain one linear or one decreasing saturating exponential term. After irradiation the coloring curves decrease and can be resolved accurately into one or more decreasing exponential components. Futhermore, all the observed coloring‐curve features were derived from relatively simple kinetics.