Tritium target fabrication for the rotating target neutron source

Abstract

The Isotope Research Materials Laboratory (IRML) of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) prepares tritium targets that are used to produce an intense beam of 14.5 MeV neutrons by the 1 3H( 1 2H, 0 1n) 2 4He reaction. The intense beams of 14.5 MeV neutrons are used in programs involving cancer research, materials evaluation, and materials identification. Many of the tritium targets prepared by IRML for the past four years have been used in support of the Rotating Target Neutron Source (RTNS) programs at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The tritium targets are prepared by the vacuum evaporation of titanium from a rod-fed electron beam gun. The resulting vapor-condensed titanium layers are exposed to a tritium atmosphere to form titanium tritide. A summary of tritium target development at IRML with an emphasis on the RTNS programs is presented.