Primary yields of water radiolysis in concentrated nitric acid solutions

Abstract

The Primary yields of water radiolysis have been evaluated as a function of nitric acid or nitrate concentration in the 60Co γ-radiolysis of nitric acid and 0.4 mol dm–3 sulfuric acid with nitric acid or sodium nitrate solutions containing CeIV and CeIII, in the presence and absence of Tl+. The radiolytic decomposition of water is significantly enhanced in these systems, from gw(–H2O)= 0.60 µmol J–1 for 0.4 mol dm–3 sulfuric acid–sodium nitrate solutions to gw(–H2O)= 0.76 µmol J–1 for nitric acid solutions at high solute concentrations.