This study investigates the effects of irradiation by 7 MeV Au ions on a 4-oxide borosilicate glass (CJ2 glass), a simplified model for nuclear glasses. Irradiation increased the interdiffusion rate by more than an order of magnitude in acidic conditions and the initial dissolution rate by a factor of 2.3 at pH 9. The residual dissolution rate was also increased. Raman spectroscopy revealed structural changes including depolymerization of the silicate network and changes in boron speciation. The findings suggest that irradiation primarily affects the kinetics of glass alteration without changing the fundamental nature of the limiting reactions.
