Radiation effects in atomic cryogenic solids

Radiation effects and relaxation processes in atomic solids are discussed with the example of solid Xe preliminarily irradiated by an electron beam. The study was performed employing concurrently the combination of current and optical “activation spectroscopy” methods. Three relaxation processes were monitored simultaneously upon controlled warming-up of pre-irradiated solids: thermally stimulated exoelectron emission (TSEE), thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) in the VUV range and the total desorption yield by pressure measuring above the sample. Anomalous strong low-temperature “post-desorption” (ALTpD) of own atoms from pre-irradiated Xe solids was observed for the first time. The data obtained demonstrated a clear correlation between the yields of exoelectrons, photons of recombination luminescence and neutral particles pointing to the common origin of the phenomena. It was shown that the key primary process of the relaxation cascade including the ALTpD is a thermally stimulated electron detrapping, promoting electrons into the conduction band. Subsequent branching of the relaxation paths results in the relaxation emissions observed. An accumulation of charges of both signs as well as excess electrons under exposure to an electron beam was found.