A Search for Neutrons and Gamma Rays Associated with Tritium Production in Deuterated Metals PDF Download

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Languages : en
Pages : 15

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Tritium activity has been measured in several Pd-Ni-D2O electrolytic cells, as reported previously. At the present time 13 separate cells have shown tritium at 102 to 106 times the background level of the D2O used in these experiments. The appearance of the activity in the electrolyte and in the gas phase occurs over a period of hours to a few days after remaining at or near the background level during 4--10 weeks of charging in 0.1 M LiOD, D2O solution. The present paper deals with attempts to reproduce the tritium measurements and to establish the source, from either contamination or nuclear reaction. The sudden appearance of tritium activity in the cells requires the tritium to be loaded in a component prior to the beginning of cell operation in a contamination model. Release is assumed to be caused by deterioration of one of the materials used in the 0.1 M LiOD solution. In an extensive set of tests, no contamination has been found in the starting materials or in normal water blanks. Results for neutron and gamma-ray correlations have proved to be negative also. The limit set on the absence of 2.5 MeV neutrons for the t/n ration is 107 from that expected in the d + d reaction, and 103 for 14 MeV neutrons expected from the t + d secondary reaction. Similarly, Coulomb excitation gamma rays expected from the interaction of 3 MeV protons with Pd are found to be absent, which indicates that the d(d, p)t two-body reaction does not occur in the Pd electrode. 9 figs., 2 tabs.