Effects of degradation of methane molecules on self-oscillatory processes in solid methane irradiated with electrons

Self-oscillations of temperature and component concentration are one of the types of instabilities that occur in methane at low temperatures during nuclear irradiation. In this paper, we study the effect on the self-oscillations of a reduction in the number of methane molecules due to their transformation into methyl and other molecules under electron irradiation. It is shown that the processes of the methane degradation reduce the number of self-oscillation cycles, lead to an extension of the oscillation period with an increase in the cycle number. We also predict a sharp jump in temperature and an increase in reaction products at the end of each oscillation cycle. But at a high rate of degradation of methane molecules and radiolysis products, the self-oscillations do not occur.