Reproducible neutron emission measurements from Ti metal in pressurized D sub 2 gas

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6219183

Menlove, H O; Paciotti, M A; Claytor, T N; Maltrud, H R; Rivera, O M; Tuggle, D G ^[1]; Jones, S E ^[2]

---

1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
2. Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (USA)

During the past year, we have measured neutron emission from samples of titanium (Ti) metal and sponge in pressurized D{sub 2} gas. In January 1990, we improved our sample preparation procedure and our detector sensitivity level so that the neutron-emission measurements are now reproducible, but not yet predictable. We have measured excess neutron emission from the majority of our most recent samples using our high-sensitivity neutron detectors. The improved sensitivity in our new detector system was obtained by using low-radioactive-background stainless steel tubes, a small detector volume with high efficiency, and additional cosmic-ray shielding. Our most sensitive detector consists of two independent segments making up inner and outer rings of {sup 3}He tubes. The combined total efficiency is 44%. In addition to inner and outer ring segments, we have three separate detector systems operating in parallel control experiments to monitor environmental change. We have measured neutron bursts from a variety of samples containing Ti metal and D{sub 2} gas. The low-multiplicity bursts, emitting from 2 to 10 n, occur much more frequently than the higher multiplicity bursts. By measuring high-mass samples (300 g Ti) over several weeks, with many liquid nitrogen temperature cycles, we have detected neutron emission above the background from most of the samples with a significance level of 3 to 9 {sigma}. 10 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6219183
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-91-339; CONF-9010266-2; ON: DE91008578; TRN: 91-009446
• Resource Relation: Conference: Conference on anomalous nuclear effects in deuterium/solid systems, Provo, UT (USA), 22-24 Oct 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
NEUTRON DETECTORS
SENSITIVITY
TITANIUM BASE ALLOYS
NEUTRON EMISSION
ABSORPTION
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
DEUTERIUM
EFFICIENCY
HELIUM 3 REACTIONS
SAMPLE PREPARATION
TITANIUM
ALLOYS
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIATION DETECTORS
STABLE ISOTOPES
TITANIUM ALLOYS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
440101* - Radiation Instrumentation- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments
400600 - Radiation Chemistry
400702 - Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry- Properties of Radioactive Materials