ESR INVESTIGATIONS OF ELECTRON-BEAM IRRADIATED CELLULOSE NITRATE

Electron spin resonance investigations on an electron-beam irradiated solid state nuclear track detector, based on cellulose nitrate (KODAK LR-311), are reported. The nature of free radicals induced in polymers by irradiation is discussed. The dependence of resonance spectral par ameters on irradiation times, as well as on storage time and temperatu re, is studied. The experimental results are related to the stability of latent tracks and it is concluded that the free radicals induced by irradiation are located within the latent tracks. We have shown that both latent track and free radical thermal fading obey an Arrhenius-li ke dependence, with the same activation energy.