  We report on growth of tin (Sn) metal whiskers that is significantly
accelerated under gamma-ray irradiation. The studied Sn thin film, evaporated
on glass substrate, was subjected to a total of ~60 hours of irradiation over
the course of 30 days. The irradiated sample demonstrated the enhanced
development, in both whisker densities and lengths, resulting in an
acceleration factor of ~50. This makes gamma-ray irradiation a candidate tool
for accelerated testing of whisker propensity. We attribute the observed
enhancement to electrostatic fields created by charged defects in the glass
substrate under ionizing radiation of gamma-rays.
