Diffuse X-ray scattering from neutron irradiated crystalline quartz

Abstract Measurements of diffuse X-ray scattering close to Bragg reflections, of lattice parameter changes and of glasslike, or amorphous, scattering from α-quartz single crystals after irradiation in the range of dose from 3 to 49 × 1018 fast neutrons per square centimeter are reported. The measurements close to Bragg reflections and the lattice parameter changes lead to the conclusion that the neutrons create defective regions. The crystalline matrix is heavily strained by the defective regions and the symmetry and magnitude of the strain field is determined. During annealing no appreciable change of the size and the form of the defective regions is observed. The annealing seems to be closely connected to the α–β quartz phase transition. The amorphous scattering is very similar in a fully amorphized crystal and in heavily irradiated vitreous silica. In more lightly irradiated samples this amorphous scattering seems to grow with increasing irradiation in proportion to the number of defective (amorphized)...