Monotonous and oscillatory recombination kinetics in neutron irradiated crystalline chromates

Abstract

Kinetics of post recoil thermal annealing of chromate salts after ⁵⁰Cr(n, γ)⁵¹Cr nuclear reaction reveals a monotonous and an oscillatory part amounting 1–2% of the total retention. The permanent recombination after subtracting the oscillatory part has been found to consist of two first order processes producing ⁵¹Cr(VI) from ⁵¹Cr(III) during the examined first hour. The oscillatory phenomenon is possibly explained by thermodynamics of irreversible processes.