RADIATION-INDUCED POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ELECTRODES WITH AND WITHOUT GAMMA-RAYS

Observation were carried out on the potential difference (PD) appearin g between two electrodes immersed in solutions purged with Ar, CO2, N2 O and O-2, where wither one of the electrodes was subject to gamma-ray irradiation. In the solutions with all other gases than N2O, ionizing radiation incurred negative PDs; the electrode under gamma-rays showe d a potential less noble than the unirradiated one. In the case of O-2 -purging, it was proved that the absolute value of PD was not as large as other examinations, and that a slightly negative PD value (-40 mV) remained even after a suspension of exposure. The experiments with va riable loads between electrodes revealed that in the solution with N2( O) the PD decreased with a much shallower gradient with an increase in current than in the solution with Ar and CO2. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd.