Hydrogen migration in stainless steel and alloys stimulated by ionizing radiation

Hydrogen behaviour in stainless steel, titanium and vanadium alloys during ionising radiation (accelerated nitrogen ions, γ-quanta) has been studied. It was shown that ionizing radiation stimulates intensive migration of hydrogen (H-migration). The cross-section of interaction between the accelerated ions and H-atoms has been determined to be 10^-16 cm². A phenomenological model of ionisation-accelerated hydrogen migration in metals was suggested. Mechanisms of γ- and electron-stimulated dissociation of H-containing bonds inside a solid have been specified as Mensel-Corner mechanisms, Auger process electron transfers from the therm of bond state to the therm of repulsion one, which subsequently will decay into fragments. The calculated probability of H-migration on the base of these mechanisms is in a good agreement with the experimental results.