Radiation Effects in Solid Nitrogen and Nitrogen-Containing Matrices: Fingerprints of N4+ Species

The radiation effects and relaxation processes in solid N2 and N2-doped Ne matrices, preirradiated by an electron beam, have been studied in the temperature range of 5–40 and 5–15 K, respectively. The study was performed using luminescence methods: cathodoluminescence CL and developed by our group nonstationary luminescence NsL, as well as optical and current activation spectroscopy methods: spectrally resolved thermally stimulated luminescence TSL and exoelectron emission TSEE. An appreciable accumulation of N radicals, N+, N2+ ions, and trapped electrons is found in nitrogen-containing Ne matrices. Neutralization reactions were shown to dominate relaxation scenario in the low-temperature range, while at higher temperatures diffusion-controlled reactions of neutral species contribute. It was conceived that in α-phase of solid N2, the dimerization reaction (N2+ + N2 → N4+) proceeds: “hole self-trapping”. Tetranitrogen cation N4+ manifests itself by the dissociative recombination reaction with electron: N4...