  We observed the accelerated tin whisker development under non-destructive
gamma-ray and x-ray irradiation and determined the characteristic range of
radiation doses 20-30 KGy, for which that effect becomes significant. We were
able to change the radiation induced whisker growth by electrically
disconnecting some parts of our experimental setup thus demonstrating the
electrostatic nature of the accelerated whisker development. The observed
acceleration factors make the ionizing radiation a potential non-destructive
and readily implementable accelerated life testing tool.
