Thermoelectricity in Irradiated Dielectrics. I. Some General Features

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Abstract
A transitory charge displacement has been observed in gamma‐irradiated solid dielectrics when the 3.2‐mm‐thick samples are heated subsequently in temperature gradients of 5 to 40 C°/mm. The charge displaced was found to be directly proportional to the temperature gradient and, below a megaroentgen, to the radiation exposure. With further exposure it approaches a maximum of a few nanocoulombs per square centimeter. Electric fields above 100 V/mm applied to the sample during heating produce only slight changes in the magnitude of the thermoelectric discharge. A marked reduction in the discharge magnitude is observed in samples that are shielded from the radiation source by metal plates approximately 0.1 g/cm2 thick. This suggests that the phenomenon may arise from the thermal release of trapped electrons which have entered the sample as Compton recoils.

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