Monitoring volatilization products using Residual Gas Analyzers during MeV ion beam irradiations

The use of Residual Gas Analyzers (RGAs) during irradiation experiments can provide valuable information when incorporated into experimental end-stations. The instruments can track the volatilization products of beam-sensitive materials, which may ultimately aid researchers in selecting appropriate flux values for conducting experiments. Furthermore, the type of gaseous species released during an irradiation can be monitored directly, which may lead to new insights into the radiolysis and/or heating mechanisms responsible for gas evolution. A survey of several classes of materials exposed to extremes in particle flux is presented to show how RGA instrumentation can be incorporated to qualitatively assess ion-solid interactions in a variety of fields.