Influence of Deformation on the Colorability of KCl

A study of the radiation temperature and intensity dependence of the colorability of deformed pure and calcium-doped KCl crystals was made. It was found that the deformation-induced enhancement of the coloration was greater for low-intensity than for high-intensity radiation. Moreover, it was determined that annealing at 25°C after deformation and prior to irradiation had no effect on the enhanced colorability. There is a small increase in the $F$-center growth curves of deformed samples compared to undeformed ones for irradiations at 77°K. The results suggest that the primary source of the enhanced coloration is dislocation dipoles which are created during deformation.