Kinetics of the emergence of temporal order in γ-irradiated crystals of BiFeO3
The process of oscillation in displacing atoms upon irradiation with γ-quanta (with energies up to 55 MeV) is observed for the first time in a class of insulators. The object of study is multiferroic BiFeO3, the oscillating period is ∼40 days, and the physical cause of the phenomenon is oscillating local pressure. The kinetics of the emergence of temporal order is investigated over a period of two years. The main method of research is Mössbauer spectroscopy on 57Fe nuclei.