CALCULATION OF INITIAL AND PRIMARY YIELDS IN THE RADIOLYSIS OF WATER

Monte Carlo calculations have been used to model the initial physical and chemical changes, together with the subsequent diffusion-controlle d reactions (up to 10(-6) s) which take place following the irradiatio n of water by electrons from 100 eV to 1 MeV investigations were carri ed out to determine the sensitivity of the radical yields to the follo wing: vapour and liquid cross sections, the initial spatial distributi on of electrons and radicals, vibrational cross sections, ionization p otentials and initial electron energy for both complete tracks and als o for short track sections The roles played by the vibrational cross s ections and by the relaxation of excited states through ionization wer e found to be most important in determining the sub-excitation electro n ''entry'' energy spectrum, which in turn determines the electron the rmalization distribution and therefore the primary yields.