Swift heavy ion induced structural modifications in zircon and scheelite phases of ThGeO4

Structural modifications in the zircon and scheelite phases of ThGeO4 induced by swift heavy ions (93 MeV Ni7+) at different fluences as well as pressure quenching effects are reported. X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements at room temperature on the irradiated zircon phase of ThGeO4 indicate the occurrence of stresses that lead to a reduction of the cell volume up to 2% followed by its transformation to a mixture of nano-crystalline and amorphous scheelite phases. Irradiation of the zircon phase at liquid nitrogen temperature induces amorphization at a lower fluence (7.5 × 1016 ions/m2), as compared to that at room temperature (6 × 1017 ions/m2). Scheelite type ThGeO4 irradiated at room temperature undergoes complete amorphization at a lower fluence of 7.5 × 1016 ions/m2 without any volume reduction. The track radii deduced from X-ray diffraction measurements on room temperature irradiated zircon, scheelite and low temperature irradiated zircon phases of ThGeO4 are, 3.9, 3.5 and 4.5 nm, respectively. X-ray structural investigations on the zircon phase of ThGeO4 recovered after pressurization to about 3.5 and 9 GPa at ambient temperature show the coexistence of zircon and disordered scheelite phases with a larger fraction of scheelite phase occurring at 9 GPa. On the other hand, the scheelite phase quenched from 9 GPa shows crystalline scheelite phase pattern.