Electron Spin Resonance Studies of Thermal Effects in Irradiated Amino Acids

Abstract

The radicals induced by irradiation of glycine with high energy electrons have been investigated by the electron spin resonance technique. At a dose rate of 130 kilorad/sec it was found that an exposure to doses greater than 50 megarads leads to a decrease in the number of radicals with increasing dose. The shape of the signal was also found to change. By heating and cooling the samples during irradiation it was shown that the effects observed were due to thermal annealing. Possible theoretical explanations are discussed.