X-ray-induced water vaporization

We present quantitative evidence for x-ray-induced water vaporization: water is vaporized at a rate of 5.5 pL/s with the 1-angstrom-wavelength x-ray irradiation of similar to 0.1 photons per angstrom(2); moreover, water vapor is reversibly condensed during pauses in irradiation. This result fundamentally suggests that photoionization induces vaporization. This phenomenon is attributed to surface-tension reduction by ionization and would be universally important in radiological and electrohydrodynamic situations.