Phonon scattering and interstitial clusters in γ-irradiated LiF

Abstract The thermal conductivity of pure and Mg-doped LiF single crystals irradiated at room temperature in a Co 60 source (3–780 Mrad) was measured between 60mK and 70 K. Several phonon scattering mechanisms for extended defects are reviewed and it is shown that experimental results can be understood in terms of two types of interstitial clusters: (a) small spherical clusters whose number density and size depend on the residual impurity content; and (b) large non-spherical clusters of toroidal shape with a major radius of several hundred A and minor radius of some tens of A. For increasing dose, the major radius decreases, the minor radius increases and the rings become increasingly opaque possibly due to the associated strain field.