Triton memory time in solid DT and its nuclear polarization

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6993729

Souers, P C; Fearon, E M; Mapoles, E R; Sater, J D; Collins, G W; Gaines, J R; Sherman, R H; Bartlit, J R

The expected value of nuclear spin polarization to inertial confinement fusion is recapitulated. A comparison of brute force versus dynamic nuclear polarization, as applied to solid deuterium-tritium, is given, and the need for a long triton polarization memory time (longitudinal nuclear relaxation time) is shown. The time constant for 25 mol%T/sub 2/-50 DT-25 D/sub 2/ is a short 0.3 s at 5/degree/K and waiting lowers it to 0.1 s. Use of 90 to 96 mol% molecular DT raises the time constant to 0.9 s and addition of about 20 mol% nH/sub 2/ increases it to 5 to 7 s. The theory shows that the species shortening the triton memory time is the J = 1 T/sub 2/, which can be reduced in our samples only by self-catalysis. The heating in order to mix in nH/sub 2/ increases the percent of J = 1 T/sub 2/ and mixing may not be perfect. The experiments have increased the triton memory time twenty-fold and shown that removal of the J = 1 T/sub 2/ is the key to improved results.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6993729
• Report Number(s): UCRL-97405; CONF-880505-19; ON: DE88011337
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

651220* -- Nuclear Properties & Reactions
A=1-5
Experimental
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700205 -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Fuel
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73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DATA
DEUTERIUM
FUELS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORIENTATION
POLARIZATION
RADIOISOTOPES
SOLIDS
SPIN ORIENTATION
STABLE ISOTOPES
THEORETICAL DATA
THERMONUCLEAR FUELS
TRITIUM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES