Electron beam induced conductivity in polyethylene of different crystallinity and the effect of SF6

The decay of the conductivity induced by a short pulse of 15 MeV electrons in polyethylene samples of different crystallinity was found to consist of a fast component and a slow component. The fast component is attributed to charge carrier movement in the crystalline regions while the slow component is thought to be caused by electron motion in the amorphous parts. The dependence of the observed effects on the degree of crystallinity and the influence of SF
6
on the slow component support this picture. Recent results of TSC-measurements give further support to the interpretation advanced here.