Mineral undergoes self-healing of irradiation damage

Tabular monazite (top right; ca. 2.6 mm size) on a xenotime crystal. Königsalm near Senftenberg, Lower Austria. Martin Slama) - Several minerals suffer radioactive self-irradiation and hence experience long-term changes of their properties. The mineral monazite virtually behaves "just alike Camembert cheese in which holes are drilled": Existing radiation damage heals itself. An international research team led by Lutz Nasdala, Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography, University of Vienna, conducted an ion-irradiation study that has unravelled the causes of the self-healing of monazite. Results were published in "Scientific Reports". In nature there are quite a few minerals that incorporate uranium and thorium in their crystal structure.