On the temperature dependence of the primary yield and the product Gεmax of hydrated electrons in the low-LET radiolysis of liquid water

Monte-Carlo simulations are performed to calculate the temperature dependence of the primary hydrated electron yield (Geaq-) for liquid water irradiated by low linear-energy-transfer radiation (LET ~ 0.3 keV µm–1) in the range 25–325°C. Calculations are carried out by taking properly into account the effect of the time and temperature dependencies of the water dielectric constant on the electron–cation geminate recombination. Our computed Geaq- values slightly increase with increasing temperature, in good agreement with experiment. The product Geaq- εmax(eaq-), estimated by using existing experimental data of the maximum molar extinction coefficient εmax(eaq-), remains nearly constant or slightly increases, depending on the temperature dependence chosen for εmax. Our Geaq-εmax(eaq-) values compare generally well with most experimental data, as well as with the predictions of deterministic diffusion-kinetic model calculations. Moreover, our results indicate that the static dielectric constant of water (εs) does not play any significant role on the electron–cation recombination at early times. Such a finding is inconsistent with the interpretation, proposed by certain authors in the literature, that Geaq- should in fact decrease as temperature is increased because of an increased electron–cation geminate recombination due to a lowering of εs. Finally, the temperature dependence of the hydrated electron yields, calculated at various times between 10 ps and 1 µs, shows that at low LET, the time required to establish homogeneous chemistry in the bulk of the solution is ~10–6 s in the range ~25–100°C, and that this time diminishes to ~10–7 s at higher temperatures. Key words: liquid water, radiolysis, temperature, hydrated electron (eaq-), radiolytic yields, electron–cation geminate recombination, dielectric constant, molar extinction coefficient of eaq-, homogenization time.

Monte-Carlo calculation of the primary yields of H2O2 in the 1H+, 2H+, 4He2+, 7Li3+, and 12C6+ radiolysis of liquid water at 25 and 300°C

Monte-Carlo simulations are used to calculate the primary yield of hydrogen peroxide (GH2O2) of the radiolysis of pure, deaerated liquid water as a function of linear energy transfer (LET) of the incident radiation over the range ~0.3–100 keV µm–1, at 25 and 300°C. The radiations include 1H+, 2H+, 4He2+, 7Li3+, and 12C6+ ions with energies from 0.17 MeV to 3.6 GeV. At 25°C, it is found that our GH2O2 values, calculated with protons of different initial energies, show a monotonic increase as a function of LET, in agreement with the commonly assumed expectation of an increase in molecular yields with increasing LET. Our calculated H2O2 yields at 300°C increase significantly faster with LET than do their corresponding 25°C values, showing that the temperature dependence of GH2O2 at higher LET is less than for low-LET radiation. We also report our results on the temporal variations of the H2O2 yields, in the interval ~1 × 10–13 – 1 × 10–6 s, at 25 and 300°C and for the different types of radiation considered. Finally, we find that for incident ions of equal LET > 10 keV µm–1, GH2O2 decreases as the ion velocity increases, from protons (or deuterons) to carbon ions. These differences produced in GH2O2 by changing the type of radiation are explained by the greater mean energy of secondary electrons from the higher velocity ions, which penetrate to a greater average distance from the actual particle track, with a corresponding decrease in molecular yields. Our calculated GH2O2 values compare generally well with the experimental data available from the literature and are also in good accord with the predictions of deterministic diffusion-kinetic model calculations reported earlier.Key words: liquid water, radiolysis, primary yields, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), linear energy transfer (LET), accelerated protons and heavy ions, temperature, Monte-Carlo simulations.

Monte Carlo calculation of the primary radical and molecular yields of liquid water radiolysis in the linear energy transfer range 0.3-6.5 keV/micrometer: application to 137Cs gamma rays

Monte Carlo simulations of the radiolysis of neutral liquid water and 0.4 M H(2)SO(4) aqueous solutions at ambient temperature are used to calculate the variations of the primary radical and molecular yields (at 10(-6)s) as a function of linear energy transfer (LET) in the range approximately 0.3 to 6.5 keV/micrometer. The early energy deposition is approximated by considering short (approximately 20-100 micrometer) high-energy (approximately 300-6.6 MeV) proton track segments, over which the LET remains essentially constant. The subsequent nonhomogeneous chemical evolution of the reactive species formed in these tracks is simulated by using the independent reaction times approximation, which has previously been used successfully to model the radiolysis of water under various conditions. The results obtained are in good general agreement with available experimental data over the whole LET range studied. After normalization of our computed yields relative to the standard radical and molecular yields for (60)Co gamma radiation (average LET approximately 0.3 keV/micrometer), we obtain empirical relationships of the primary radiolytic yields as a function of LET over the LET range studied. Such relationships are of practical interest since they allow us to predict a priori values of the radical and molecular yields for any radiation from the knowledge of the average LET of this radiation only. As an application, we determine the corresponding yields for the case of (137)Cs gamma radiation. For this purpose, we use the value of approximately 0.91 keV/micrometer for the average LET of (137)Cs gamma rays, chosen so that our calculated yield G(Fe(3+)) for ferrous-ion oxidation in air-saturated 0.4 M sulfuric acid reproduces the value of 15.3 molecules/100 eV for this radiation recommended by the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements. The uncertainty range on those primary radical and molecular yields are also determined knowing the experimental error (approximately 2%) for the measured G(Fe(3+)) value. The following values (expressed in molecules/100 eV) are obtained: (1) for neutral water: G(e(-)(aq)) = 2.50 +/- 0.16, G(H(.)) = 0.621 +/- 0.019, G(H(2)) = 0.474 +/- 0.025, G((.)OH) = 2.67 +/- 0.14, G(H(2)O(2)) = 0.713 +/- 0.031, and G(-H(2)O) = 4.08 +/- 0.22; and (2) for 0.4 M H(2)SO(4) aqueous solutions: G(H(.)) = 3.61 +/- 0.09, G(H(2)) = 0.420 +/- 0.019, G((.)OH) = 2.78 +/- 0.12, G(H(2)O(2)) = 0.839 +/- 0.037, and G(-H(2)O) = 4.46 +/- 0.16. These computed values are found to differ from the standard yields for (60)Co gamma rays by up to approximately 6%.

La radiolyse de l'eau et des solutions aqueuses : historique et actualité

Experiments showing that water is decomposed by the action of high-energy radiations date back to the first days of the discovery of radioactivity, a century ago. On the occasion of this anniversary, we have attempted to give a comprehensive account of the radiation chemistry of water and its solutions since its origin, with special emphasis on the various physical and chemical stages that led to the present state of this science. To this aim, we describe the effect of different intervening factors on the molecular and radical yields, including dissolved solute concentration, pH, radiation intensity (or dose rate), type and energy of the radiation, presence of oxygen, temperature, phase, and pressure. We also discuss briefly the chemical behavior of the free radicals produced in radiolyzed aqueous solutions. A good, albeit incomplete, description of the phenomena is obtained that leads to various perspectives concerning, on the one hand, the development of this science and, on the other hand, its potential for applications.Key words : radical chemistry, dilution curve, water, hydrated electron, hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, free radicals, radiolysis, chain reactions, molecular and radical yields, cell survival, linear energy transfer.

Multiple ionization in the earlier stages of water radiolysis

We have studied the fragmentation of water vapour molecules induced by collision with a Xe44+ beam at 6.7 MeV/u. From the measurement of the fragment time of flight, we show that the amount of fragmentation due to multiple ionization is very large. In the case of single ionization, we are able to reproduce accurately the experimental cross sections by calculating for each molecular level the single-ionization cross section in the framework of the CDW-EIS theory and with a diagram of dissociation modified with respect to the diagram obtained in the case of dipolar ionization. By using qualitative arguments based on the ability of the medium to neutralize a charged species, we tentatively extend our result to liquid water. From our analysis, we show that ionizations involving three or more ejected electrons could enhance the oxygen production. For the physicochemical phase we estimate that the rate of oxygen production by multiple ionization represents approximately 18% of the OH rate produced by single ionization.