Fission fragment radiolysis of carbon dioxide

Abstract

The fission fragment radiolysis of CO2 and the CO2–C3H8, CO2–NO2 systems is studied in comparison with the γ radiolysis. Two kinds of back reactions (re-oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide) are operative in the fission fragment radiolysis. One (a rapid back reaction) is the unidentified ionic chain reaction which proceeds at low CO concentrations, and the other (a slow back reaction) is assigned to a radical reaction (CO + O + CO2 → 2CO2 [3′]). This slow back reaction is a characteristic of the fission fragment radiolysis. The analysis of results gives an upper limit of the radius of fission fragment tracks in the reaction system, rρ < 1.04 μg cm−2.