Radiolysis of N¹⁵N¹⁴O

The gas-phase gamma-ray radiolysis of N¹⁵N¹⁴O has been investigated as a function of dose, concentration, and temperature (-80 to 376 °C). Around 40 °C the ratios $$ and N¹⁵O/N¹⁴O are 0.1 and 0.4, respectively, independent of dose and concentration. In the radiolysis of N¹⁴N¹⁴O-N¹⁵O mixtures it was found that the ion pair yield of $$ was 0.5. The ion pair yield of $$ in the radiolysis of N¹⁵N¹⁴O increases with temperature from 2.6 at 50 °C to 21.7 at 376 °C. On the other hand, the yield of $$ is, within experimental error, not affected by a change in temperature, indicating that only the "molecular" nitrogen increases with an increase in temperature. The occurrence of dissociative electron attachment processes is consistent with the experimental observations. The yields of $$ and $$ increase when a potential difference is applied during radiolysis at the saturation plateau. The latter increase can be accounted for by an enhancement of neutral excited molecule decompositions. Addition of xenon and krypton enhances the decomposition of nitrous oxide. The results indicate that N atoms play a relatively less important role in the inert gas-induced decomposition than in the direct radiolysis.