| Tritium | |
|---|---|
 Tritium |
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| General | |
| Name, symbol | tritium, triton,3H |
| Neutrons | 2 |
| Protons | 1 |
| Nuclide data | |
| Natural abundance | trace |
| Half-life | 4500±8 days |
| Decay products | 3He |
| Isotope mass | 3. Template talkIso1 -->The isotope table below shows Isotopes of the Chemical elements including all A table of Chemical elements ordered by Atomic number and color coded according to type of element A table of Chemical elements ordered by Atomic number and color coded according to type of element This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. The proton ( Greek πρῶτον / proton "first" is a Subatomic particle with an Electric charge of one positive In Chemistry, natural abundance (NA refers to the abundance Isotopes of a Chemical element as naturally found on a planet A trace radioisotope is a Radioisotope that occurs naturally in trace amounts (i Half-Life (computer-game page here It's already listed in the disambiguation page A day (symbol d is a unit of Time equivalent to 24 Hours and the duration of a single Rotation of planet Earth with respect to the In Nuclear physics, a decay product, also known as a daughter product, daughter isotope or daughter nuclide, is a Nuclide This article is about the elemental isotope For the record label Helium 3 see Muse or A&E Records. The atomic mass (ma is the Mass of an atom most often expressed in unified atomic mass units The atomic mass may be considered to be the total mass 0160492 u |
| Spin | 1/2+ |
| Excess energy | 14949. The unified atomic mass unit ( u) or Dalton ( Da) or sometimes universal mass unit, is an unit of Mass used to express In Quantum mechanics, spin is a fundamental property of atomic nuclei, Hadrons and Elementary particles For particles with non-zero spin Binding energy is the Mechanical energy required to disassemble a whole into separate parts 794± 0. 001 keV |
| Binding energy | 8481. Binding energy is the Mechanical energy required to disassemble a whole into separate parts 821± 0. 004 keV |
| Decay mode | Decay energy |
| Beta emission | 0. Radioactive decay is the process in which an unstable Atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting ionizing particles and Radiation. The decay energy is the Energy released by a Nuclear decay. The energy difference of the Reactants is often written as Q: where Q In Nuclear physics, beta decay is a type of Radioactive decay in which a Beta particle (an Electron or a Positron) is emitted 018590 MeV |
Tritium (pronounced /ˈtɹɪt.i.əm/, symbol T or 3H) is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. Isotopes (Greek isos = "equal" tópos = "site place" are any of the different types of atoms ( Nuclides Hydrogen (ˈhaɪdrədʒən is the Chemical element with Atomic number 1 The nucleus of tritium (sometimes called a triton) contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of protium (the most abundant hydrogen isotope) contains no neutrons and one proton. The nucleus of an Atom is the very dense region consisting of Nucleons ( Protons and Neutrons, at the center of an atom The proton ( Greek πρῶτον / proton "first" is a Subatomic particle with an Electric charge of one positive This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. A hydrogen atom is an atom of the chemical element Hydrogen. The electrically neutral
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Decay
While Tritium has several different experimentally-determined values of its half-life, the NIST recommends 4500±8 days (approximately 12. Half-Life (computer-game page here It's already listed in the disambiguation page 32 years)[1]. It decays into helium-3 by the reaction
releasing 18. This article is about the elemental isotope For the record label Helium 3 see Muse or A&E Records. This article is about the elemental isotope For the record label Helium 3 see Muse or A&E Records. The electron is a fundamental Subatomic particle that was identified and assigned the negative charge in 1897 by J In Physics, antineutrinos, the Antiparticles of Neutrinos are neutral particles produced in nuclear Beta decay. 6 keV of energy. The electron has an average kinetic energy of 5. The electron is a fundamental Subatomic particle that was identified and assigned the negative charge in 1897 by J 7 keV, while the remaining energy is carried off by the nearly undetectable electron antineutrino. In Physics, antineutrinos, the Antiparticles of Neutrinos are neutral particles produced in nuclear Beta decay. The low-energy beta radiation from tritium cannot penetrate human skin, so tritium is only dangerous if inhaled or ingested. Beta particles are high-energy high-speed Electrons or Positrons emitted by certain types of Radioactive nuclei such as Potassium -40 Its low energy also creates difficulty detecting tritium labelled compounds except by using liquid scintillation counting. Liquid scintillation counting is a standard laboratory method in the life-sciences for measuring Radiation from beta -emitting nuclides.
Production
Tritium occurs naturally due to cosmic rays interacting with atmospheric gases. For the 1962 Bruce Conner film see Cosmic Ray (film Cosmic rays are energetic particles originating from space that impinge on In the most important reaction for natural tritium production, a fast neutron (> 4MeV [2]) interacts with atmospheric nitrogen:
Because of tritium's relatively short half-life, however, tritium produced in this manner does not accumulate over geological timescales, and its natural abundance is negligible. The neutron temperature, also called the neutron energy, indicates a free neutron's Kinetic energy, usually given in Electron volts The term Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 Nitrogen-14 is a stable, non- Radioactive Isotope of the Chemical element Nitrogen. This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. Carbon-12 is the most abundant of the two stable Isotopes of the element Carbon, accounting for 98
Tritium is produced in nuclear reactors by neutron activation of lithium-6. This article is a subarticle of Nuclear power. A nuclear reactor is a device in which Nuclear chain reactions are initiated controlled Neutron activation is the process in which Neutron radiation induces Radioactivity in materials and occurs when atomic nuclei capture Free neutrons Naturally occurring Lithium ( Li) (standard atomic mass 6941(2 u) is composed of two stable Isotopes ( and, the latter being the more abundant This is possible with neutrons of any energy, and is an exothermic reaction yielding 4. In Thermodynamics, the word exothermic "outside heating" describes a process or reaction that releases Energy usually in the form of Heat, but 8 MeV, which is more than one-quarter of the energy that fusion of the produced triton with a deuteron can later produce.
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63Li + n → 42He ( 2. Naturally occurring Lithium ( Li) (standard atomic mass 6941(2 u) is composed of two stable Isotopes ( and, the latter being the more abundant This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. Helium-4 ( or) is a non- Radioactive and light Isotope of Helium. 05 MeV ) + 31T ( 2. 75 MeV )
High-energy neutrons can also produce tritium from lithium-7 in an endothermic reaction, consuming 2. Naturally occurring Lithium ( Li) (standard atomic mass 6941(2 u) is composed of two stable Isotopes ( and, the latter being the more abundant In Thermodynamics, the word endothermic "within-heating" describes a process or reaction that absorbs Energy in the form of Heat. 466 MeV. This was discovered when the 1954 Castle Bravo nuclear test produced an unexpectedly high yield[3]. Castle Bravo was the Code name given to the first US test of a so-called dry fuel thermonuclear Hydrogen bomb device detonated on March 1,
High-energy neutrons irradiating boron-10 will also occasionally produce tritium. Naturally occurring Lithium ( Li) (standard atomic mass 6941(2 u) is composed of two stable Isotopes ( and, the latter being the more abundant This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. Helium-4 ( or) is a non- Radioactive and light Isotope of Helium. This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. Boron (ˈbɔərɒn is a Chemical element with Atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. [4] The more common result of boron-10 neutron capture is 7Li and a single alpha particle. [5]
The reactions requiring high neutron energies are not attractive production methods. Boron ( B)Standard atomic mass 10811(7 u Table This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. Helium-4 ( or) is a non- Radioactive and light Isotope of Helium.
Tritium's decay product helium-3 has a very large cross section for the (n,p) reaction with thermal neutrons and is rapidly converted back to tritium in a nuclear reactor. This article is about the elemental isotope For the record label Helium 3 see Muse or A&E Records. The neutron temperature, also called the neutron energy, indicates a free neutron's Kinetic energy, usually given in Electron volts The term
Tritium is occasionally a direct product of nuclear fission, with a yield of about 0. This article is about the elemental isotope For the record label Helium 3 see Muse or A&E Records. This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. A hydrogen atom is an atom of the chemical element Hydrogen. The electrically neutral Nuclear fission is the splitting of the nucleus of an atom into parts (lighter nuclei) often producing Free neutrons and other smaller nuclei which may 01% (one per 10000 fissions). [6][7] This means that tritium release or recovery needs to be considered in nuclear reprocessing even in ordinary spent nuclear fuel where tritium production was not a goal. Nuclear reprocessing separates components of Spent nuclear fuel such as Reprocessed uranium Plutonium Minor Spent nuclear fuel, occasionally called used nuclear fuel, is Nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a Nuclear reactor (usually at a Nuclear power
Tritium is also produced in heavy water-moderated reactors when deuterium captures a neutron. Heavy water is water which contains a higher proportion than normal of the Isotope Deuterium, as deuterium oxide, D2O or ²H2O Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth This reaction has a very small cross section (which is why heavy water is such a good neutron moderator) and relatively little tritium is produced; nevertheless, cleaning tritium from the moderator may be desirable after several years to reduce the risk of escape to the environment. In nuclear and Particle physics, the concept of a cross section is used to express the likelihood of interaction between particles In Nuclear engineering, a neutron moderator is a medium which reduces the velocity of Fast neutrons thereby turning them into Thermal neutrons capable Ontario Power Generation's Tritium Removal Facility can process up to 2. Ontario Power Generation (OPG is a Public company wholly owned by the Government of Ontario. 5 thousand tonnes (2,500 Mg) of heavy water a year, producing about 2. 5 kg of tritium. [8]
According to IEER's 1996 report about the United States Department of Energy, only 225 kg of tritium has been produced in the US since 1955. The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research ( IEER) is a Washington D The United States Department of Energy ( DOE) is a Cabinet -level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy Since it is continuously decaying into helium-3, the stockpile was approximately, 75 kg at the time of the report. [9]
Tritium for American nuclear weapons was produced in special heavy water reactors at the Savannah River Site until their shutdown in 1988; with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty after the end of the Cold War, existing supplies were sufficient for the new, smaller number of nuclear weapons for some time. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Heavy water reactors use Heavy water as a Neutron moderator. Heavy water is Deuterium Oxide, D2O The Savannah River Site (SRS is a nuclear materials processing center in the United States state of South Carolina, located on land in Aiken Allendale and Barwnell START (for St rategic A rms R eduction T reaty is a Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Production was resumed with irradiation of lithium-containing rods (replacing the usual boron-containing control rods) at the commercial Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station in 2003-2005 followed by extraction of tritium from the rods at the new Tritium Extraction Facility at SRS starting in November 2006. Irradiation is the process by which an item is exposed to Radiation. Lithium (ˈlɪθiəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Li and Atomic number 3 Boron (ˈbɔərɒn is a Chemical element with Atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. A control rod is a rod made of Chemical elements capable of absorbing many Neutrons without fissioning themselves The Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station is a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA Nuclear reactor used for Electric power generation and Tritium [10]
Properties
Tritium has an atomic mass of 3. The atomic mass (ma is the Mass of an atom most often expressed in unified atomic mass units The atomic mass may be considered to be the total mass 0160492. It is a gas (T2 or 3H2) at standard temperature and pressure. In Physical sciences standard conditions for temperature and pressure are Standard sets of conditions for experimental measurements to allow comparisons to be made Tritium combines with oxygen to form a liquid called tritiated water T2O or partially tritiated THO. Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the Tritiated water is a form of water where the usual hydrogen atoms are replaced with Tritium. Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the Hydrogen (ˈhaɪdrədʒən is the Chemical element with Atomic number 1 Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the
Tritium figures prominently in studies of nuclear fusion due to its favorable reaction cross section and the high energy yield of 17. In Physics and Nuclear chemistry, nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple- like charged atomic nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus In nuclear and Particle physics, the concept of a cross section is used to express the likelihood of interaction between particles 6 MeV for its reaction with deuterium:
All atomic nuclei, being composed of protons and neutrons, repel one another because of their positive charge. Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth Helium-4 ( or) is a non- Radioactive and light Isotope of Helium. This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. However, if the atoms have a high enough temperature and pressure (as is the case in the core of the Sun, for example), then their random motions can overcome such electrical repulsion (called the Coulomb force), and they can come close enough for the strong nuclear force to take effect, fusing them into heavier atoms. ---- Bold text Coulomb's law', developed in the 1780s by French physicist Charles Augustin de Coulomb, may be stated in scalar form In particle physics the strong interaction, or strong force, or color force, holds Quarks and Gluons together to form Protons and Since tritium has the same charge as ordinary hydrogen, it experiences the same electrostatic repulsive force (see Coulomb's law). ---- Bold text Coulomb's law', developed in the 1780s by French physicist Charles Augustin de Coulomb, may be stated in scalar form However, due to tritium's supply of neutrons which are carried into reactions and feel the attractive strong force once delivered, tritium can more easily fuse with other light atoms. The same is also true, albeit to a lesser extent, of deuterium, and that is why brown dwarfs (so-called failed stars) cannot burn hydrogen, but do indeed burn deuterium. Brown dwarfs are sub- stellar objects with a mass below that necessary to maintain Hydrogen -burning Nuclear fusion reactions in their cores as do stars A star is a massive luminous ball of plasma. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the Energy on Earth
Before the onset of atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, the global equilibrium tritium inventory was estimated at about 80 megacuries (MCi).
Like hydrogen, tritium is difficult to confine; rubber, plastic, and some kinds of steel are all somewhat permeable. Hydrogen (ˈhaɪdrədʒən is the Chemical element with Atomic number 1 Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 This has raised concerns that if tritium is used in quantity, in particular for fusion reactors, it may contribute to radioactive contamination, although its short half-life should prevent any significant accumulation in the atmosphere. Fusion power is power generated by Nuclear fusion reactions In this kind of reaction two light atomic nuclei fuse Radioactive contamination is the uncontrolled distribution of radioactive material in a given environment
Atmospheric nuclear testing (prior to the Partial Test Ban Treaty) proved unexpectedly useful to oceanographers, as the sharp spike in surface tritium levels could be used over the years to measure the rate at which the lower and upper ocean levels mixed. The Treaty banning Nuclear Weapon Tests In The Atmosphere In Outer Space And Under Water, often abbreviated as the Partial Test Ban Treaty ( PTBT)
Regulatory limits
The legal limits for tritium in drinking water can vary. Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water is termed potable water whether it is used for drinking or not The U. S. limit is calculated to yield a dose of 4 mrem (or 40 microsieverts in SI units) per year. The Röntgen ( roentgen) equivalent in man or rem (symbol rem) The sievert (symbol Sv is the SI derived unit of dose equivalent.
- Canada 7,000 Bq/L. The becquerel (symbol Bq) is the SI derived unit of radioactivity.
- United States 740 Bq/L or 20,000 pCi/L (Safe Drinking Water Act)
- World Health Organization 10,000 Bq/L. The becquerel (symbol Bq) is the SI derived unit of radioactivity. A CURIE (short for Compact URI) is an abbreviated URI expressed in CURIE syntax and may be found in both XML and non-XML grammars The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA is the principal federal law in the United States that ensures safe Drinking water for the public The becquerel (symbol Bq) is the SI derived unit of radioactivity.
- European Union 'investigative' limit of 100* Bq/L. The becquerel (symbol Bq) is the SI derived unit of radioactivity.
Usage
Self-powered lighting
The emitted electrons from small amounts of tritium cause phosphors to glow so as to make self-powered lighting devices called trasers which are now used in watches and exit signs. A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of Phosphorescence (sustained glowing after exposure to energized particles such as Electrons Self-powered lighting is a generic term describing devices that emit light continuously without an external power source Self-powered lighting is a generic term describing devices that emit light continuously without an external power source A watch is a timepiece that is made to be worn on a person The term now usually refers to a wristwatch, which is worn on the wrist with a strap or Bracelet. An exit sign is a device in a public facility (such as a building airplane or boat that displays where the Emergency exit is It is also used in certain countries to make glowing keychains, and compasses. Luminescence is also the title of an album by singer Anggun. Luminescence is Light not generated by high temperatures alone A keychain or key chain is a small chain, usually made from Metal or Plastic, that connects a small item to a Keyring. This takes the place of radium, which can cause bone cancer and has been banned in most countries for decades. Radium (ˈreɪdiəm is a radioactive Chemical element which has the symbol Ra and Atomic number 88 Bone tumor is an inexact term which can be used for both Benign and Malignant abnormal growths found in bone but is most commonly used for primary Tumors
The aforementioned IEER report claims that the commercial demand for tritium is 400 grams per year. The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research ( IEER) is a Washington D
Nuclear weapons
Tritium is widely used in nuclear weapons for boosting a fission bomb or the fission primary of a thermonuclear weapon. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. A boosted fission weapon usually refers to a type of Nuclear bomb that uses a small amount of fusion fuel to increase the rate and thus yield of a fission Nuclear weapon designs are physical chemical and engineering arrangements that cause the physics package of a nuclear weapon to detonate Before detonation, a few grams of tritium-deuterium gas are injected into the hollow "pit" of fissile plutonium or uranium. The early stages of the fission chain reaction supply enough heat and compression to start DT fusion, then both fission and fusion proceed in parallel, the fission assisting the fusion by continuing heating and compression, and the fusion assisting the fission with highly energetic (14. 1 MeV) neutrons. As the fission fuel depletes and also explodes outward, it falls below the density needed to stay critical by itself, but the fusion neutrons make the fission process progress faster and continue longer than it would without boosting. Increased yield comes overwhelmingly from the increase in fission; the energy released by the fusion itself is much smaller because the amount of fusion fuel is much smaller.
Besides increased yield (for the same amount of fission fuel with vs. without boosting) and the possibility of variable yield (by varying the amount of fusion fuel), possibly even more important advantages are allowing the weapon (or primary of a weapon) to have a smaller amount of fissile material (eliminating the risk of predetonation by nearby nuclear explosions) and more relaxed requirements for implosion, allowing a smaller implosion system. Variable yield, or dial-a-yield, an option available on most modern Nuclear weapons allows the operator to specify a weapon's yield, or explosive power
Because the tritium in the warhead is continuously decaying, it is necessary to replenish it periodically. Typically a warhead is the Explosive material and Detonator that is delivered by a Missile, Rocket, or Torpedo. The estimated quantity needed is 4 grams per warhead. [11] To maintain constant inventory, 0. 22 grams per warhead per year must be produced.
As tritium quickly decays and is difficult to contain, the much larger secondary charge of a thermonuclear weapon instead uses lithium deuteride as its fusion fuel; during detonation, neutrons split lithium-6 into helium-4 and tritium; the tritium then fuses with deuterium, producing more neutrons. Lithium hydride ( Li[[Hydride H]] is the compound of Lithium and hydrogen Naturally occurring Lithium ( Li) (standard atomic mass 6941(2 u) is composed of two stable Isotopes ( and, the latter being the more abundant Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth As this process requires a higher temperature for ignition, and produces fewer and less energetic neutrons (only D-D fusion and 7Li splitting are net neutron producers), LiD is not used for boosting, only for secondaries. Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth Naturally occurring Lithium ( Li) (standard atomic mass 6941(2 u) is composed of two stable Isotopes ( and, the latter being the more abundant Lithium (ˈlɪθiəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Li and Atomic number 3 Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth
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For more details on this topic, see nuclear weapon design. Nuclear weapon designs are physical chemical and engineering arrangements that cause the physics package of a nuclear weapon to detonate
Controlled nuclear fusion
Tritium is an important fuel for controlled nuclear fusion in both magnetic confinement and inertial confinement fusion reactor designs. In Physics and Nuclear chemistry, nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple- like charged atomic nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus Magnetic confinement fusion is an approach to generating Fusion energy that uses Magnetic fields to confine the fusion fuel in the form of a plasma. Inertial confinement fusion ( ICF) is a process where Nuclear fusion reactions are initiated by heating and compressing a fuel target typically in the form of The experimental fusion reactor ITER and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) will use Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) fuel. ITER is an international Tokamak ( Magnetic confinement fusion) research/engineering proposal for an experimental project that will help to make the transition from The National Ignition Facility, or NIF, is a Laser -based Inertial confinement fusion (ICF research device under construction at the Lawrence Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth The D-T reaction is favored since it has the largest fusion cross-section (~ 5 barns peak) and reaches this maximum cross-section at the lowest energy (~65 keV center-of-mass) of any potential fusion fuel. Fusion power is power generated by Nuclear fusion reactions In this kind of reaction two light atomic nuclei fuse In nuclear and Particle physics, the concept of a cross section is used to express the likelihood of interaction between particles A barn (symbol b) is a unit of Area. While the barn is not an SI unit it is accepted (although discouraged for use with the SI
Small arms sights
Tritium is used to make the sights of some small arms illuminate at night. The term iron sights refers to the open unmagnified system used to assist the aiming of a variety of devices usually those intended to launch Projectiles such as Firearms Most night sights are used on semi-automatic handguns. The reticule on the SA80's optical SUSAT sight (Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux) contains a small amount of tritium for the same effect as an example of tritium use on a rifle sight. The SA80 ( Small Arms for the 1980s) is a family of 556 mm small arms designed and produced (until 1988 by the Royal Small Arms Factory at The Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux, or SUSAT, is a 4x Optical sight with Tritium -powered illumination for night sighting
Analytical chemistry
Tritium is sometimes used as a radiolabel. Isotopic labeling is a technique for tracking the passage of a sample of substance through a system It has the advantage that hydrogen appears in almost all organic chemicals making it easy to find a place to put tritium on the molecule under investigation. It has the disadvantage of producing a comparatively weak signal.
History
Tritium was first predicted in the late 1920s by Walter Russell, using his "spiral" periodic table, then produced in 1934 from deuterium, another isotope of hydrogen, by Ernest Rutherford, working with Mark Oliphant and Paul Harteck. Walter Russell (1871&ndash1963 was an American Polymath best known for his achievements in Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, and for his controversial Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a Stable isotope of Hydrogen with a Natural abundance in the Oceans of Earth Ernest Rutherford 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, OM, PC, FRS (30 August 1871 – 19 October 1937 was a New Zealand Physicist Sir Marcus 'Mark' Laurence Elwin Oliphant AC, KBE ( October 8 1901 &ndash July 14, 2000) was an Australian Paul Karl Maria Harteck ( 20 July 1902 in Vienna, Austria &ndash 22 January 1985 in Santa Barbara, California Rutherford was unable to isolate the tritium, a job that was left to Luis Alvarez and Robert Cornog, who correctly deduced that the substance was radioactive. Luis W Alvarez (June 13 1911 San Francisco California &ndash September 1 1988 was an American physicist and Inventor, who spent nearly Robert Alden Cornog (1912-1998 was a Physicist and Engineer who helped develop the Atomic bomb and missile systems from the Snark to the Willard F. Libby discovered that tritium could be used for dating water, and therefore wine. Willard Frank Libby ( December 17, 1908 &ndash September 8, 1980) was an American physical chemist, famous for his Radiometric dating (often called radioactive dating) is a technique used to date materials usually based on a comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice
References
- ^ Comprehensive Review and Critical Evaluation of the Half-Life of Tritium, National Institute of Standards and Technology
- ^ An Evaluation of the Neutron and Gamma-ray Production Cross Sections for Nitrgoen, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
- ^ IEER Tritium Report
- ^ http://meetings.lle.rochester.edu/Tritium/documents/3.ppt
- ^ Section 12.0 Useful Tables
- ^ Tritium (Hydrogen-3), Human Health Fact Sheet, Argonne National Laboratory, August 2005
- ^ Serot, O. ; Wagemans, C. ; Heyse, J. (2005). "New Results on Helium and Tritium Gas Production From Ternary Fission". INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR DATA FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. AIP Conference Proceedings 769: 857-860.
- ^ The Canadian Nuclear FAQ - Section D: Safety and Liability
- ^ Tritium: The environmental, health, budgetary, and strategic effects of the Department of Energy's decision to produce tritium, Hisham Zerriffi January, 1996
- ^ http://www.srs.gov/general/news/factsheets/tef.pdf
- ^ IEER Tritium Report
External links
- Nuclear Data Evaluation Lab
- Annotated bibliography for tritium from the Alsos Digital Library
- NLM Hazardous Substances Databank – Tritium, Radioactive
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