X‐ray irradiation induces local rearrangement of silica particles in swollen rubber

X‐ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) of swollen rubber containing spherical silica nanoparticles is reported. It is shown that irradiation by intense X‐rays leads to the breakdown of cross‐links, thereby inducing the local rearrangement of silica nanoparticles. This rearrangement process depends on the cross‐link density and is characterized by a compressed exponential relaxation with aging behaviour, which resembles a common feature of complex fluids observed with XPCS.