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 Ce^IV and Ce^III, in the presence and absence of Tl⁺. The radiolytic decomposition of water is significantly enhanced in these systems, from g_w(–H₂O)= 0.60 µmol J^–1 for 0.4 mol dm^–3 sulfuric acid–sodium nitrate solutions to g_w(–H₂O)= 0.76 µmol J^–1 for nitric acid solutions at high solute concentrations.