Radiation-Hardness Studies of High OH Content Quartz Fibers Irradiated with 500 MeV Electrons at CERN

We investigated darkening and tensile strength of nine fiber types while irradiated with 500 MeV electrons of the Linac Injector of LEP (LIL) at CERN. The transmission of Xe light by irradiated fibers was measured in-situ in 350-750 nm range. The induced attenuation at 450 nm is typically (1.52+-0.15) dB/m for a 100 Mrad absorbed dose. Twao-parameter fits for darkening and recovery are presented. After irradiation the tensile strength of the samples remain essentially unchanged. A tensile strength of (504+-38) kgf/mm2 was measured for Polymicro quartz fibers.