Vibrational Spectra and Radiation-Stimulated Change in the Structure of Crystalline Silica

A spectroscopic investigation of a radiation-stimulated change in the structure of a phase transition in a crystalline silica (alpha quartz) exposed to a set of fluences of fast neutrons has been carried out using optical methods (IR reflection spectroscopy, Raman scattering) and x-ray methods. The laws governing the change in the spectral characteristics of some bands as a result of structural transformation of the crystal on exposure to radiation and the change in the parameters of the stretching and deformation vibrations of bridge bonds have been established. It is assumed that irradiation of a crystal leads to two processes of destruction of the Si—O—Si bonds and their deformation, causing a change in the initial structure. The x-ray spectroscopy data for individual parameters were compared to the Raman spectrum for a heated quartz. A conclusion has been drawn concerning the correlation between corresponding dependences and the formation of a state similar to the high-temperature modification of quartz at a certain stage of irradiation with fast neutrons.