Measurements of radiation induced defects in quartz material by Dielectric Relaxation Spectroscopy

This paper presents the continuation of the results obtained in the R&D study initiated by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and presented during the last Frequency Control Symposium in 2006. This concerns more particularly the characterization of the defects in quartz material by using the Dielectric Relaxation Spectroscopy technique. Five different kinds (4 synthetic and one natural) of quartz material have been investigated. DRS measurements have been performed before and after three different irradiation doses (100 krad, 1 Mrad and 10 Mrad). The irradiation exposure yields in all cases the defects in the materials more instable. No dose level effect has been established. An annealing process (450degC during 24 hours) after irradiation cures to the damages produced in the quartz material by the irradiation dose.