Heavy-ion beam induced effects in enriched gadolinium target films prepared by molecular plating

A series of enriched gadolinium (Gd, Z = 64) targets was prepared using the molecular plating process for nuclear physics experiments at the Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University. After irradiation with 48 Ca and 45 Sc projectiles at center-of-target energies of E cot = 3.8–4.7 MeV/u, the molecular films displayed visible discoloration. The morphology of the films was examined and compared to the intact target surface. The thin films underwent a heavy-ion beam-induced density change as identified by scanning electron microscopy and α-particle energy loss measurements. The films became thinner and more homogenous, with the transformation occurring early on in the irradiation. This transformation is best described as a crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition induced by atomic displacement and destruction of structural order of the original film. The chemical composition of the thin films was surveyed using energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, with the results confirming the complex chemistry of the molecular films previously noted in other publications.