Radiolysis of alkali halides

This paper reviews the extensive work pertaining to the creation of colour centres in alkali halides. After a brief historical survey the various mechanisms put forth to account for defect creation are examined in turn and the experimental evidence which supports or belies each of these is presented. After demonstrating from published experimental work that the defects created are of the Frenkel rather than the Schottky type and after consideration of the early stage, extrinsic coloration process, the Valey mechanism and its variants are discussed. Next, the direct displacement model proposed by Balarin is considered and, finally, the recent excitonic mechanism proposed by Pooley and Hersh is examined in detail. The conclusion reached is that, although the excitonic mechanism appears to be much the more preferable model yet proposed, a number of points need careful consideration and experimental study before it can be accepted as having general validity.