The effects of ionizing radiation on a series of solid-state materials

Ionizing radiation (α, β, and γ) is present within a multitude of scientific fields such as space science, nuclear energy, dosimetry, and radiomedicine, where it is inevitable materials exposed to such energy will degrade over time. Upon degradation, materials lose their initial properties which were designed for specific applications, thus, will not function the same upon prolonged radiation exposure. Additionally, materials exposed to ionizing radiation produce reactive species which can subsequently cascade into a multitude of additional reactions. As such, the objective of my thesis is to explore the fundamental chemistry of a variety of materials (both organics and actinides) upon exposure to radiation chemistry from an atomistic perspective. This thesis is split into two parts: Part I consisting of work with organic solid-state materials and Part II consisting of work with actinides.