Structural disorder in neutron irradiated quartz and MgO

Abstract We measure diffuse X-ray scattering close to Bragg reflections in SiO 2 and MgO single crystals after irradiation with fast neutrons. In SiO 2 smaller and many times fewer defect clusters are created. In neutron irradiated SiO 2 there exist additional planes of diffuse intensity. By inelastic neutron scattering no energy broadening ( Δν = 0.045 THz) was observed. The intensity distribution in reciprocal space can be explained by chains in x -direction of statically tilted SiO 4 tetrahedra.