Gamma ray effect on the covalent behaviour of the CeO2-BaO-B2O3 glasses

The CeO2-BaO-B2O3 glasses containing different concentrations of CeO2 show that decrease in optical band gap and shift of band edge towards higher wavelength are due the presence of Ce4+ and BO4 groups after gamma irradiation. It is also found that transmittance of the glasses increases after gamma ray exposure. FTIR measurement confirms the conversion of three fold borate BO3 to tetrahedral BO4 groups. The density and covalency of the glasses increases slightly after gamma irradiation. The observed changes were negligible which shows the radiation hardness of these glasses.