Tritiated Dust Levitation by Beta-Induced Static Charge
- Resource Type
- Authors
- S. Langish; C.H. Skinner; L. Ciebiera; C.A. Gentile
- Source
- Fusion Science and Technology. 45:11-14
- Subject
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Materials science
Tokamak
Glass Vial
020209 energy
Mechanical Engineering
Magnetic confinement fusion
02 engineering and technology
Fusion power
01 natural sciences
Electric charge
010305 fluids & plasmas
law.invention
Nuclear physics
Nuclear Energy and Engineering
law
Beta (plasma physics)
0103 physical sciences
0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering
Levitation
General Materials Science
Composite material
Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor
Civil and Structural Engineering
- Language
- ISSN
- 1943-7641
1536-1055
Tritiated particles have been observed to spontaneously levitate under the influence of a static electric field. Tritium-containing codeposits were mechanically scraped from tiles that had been used in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) inner limiter during the deuterium-tritium campaign and were placed in a glass vial. On rubbing the plastic cap of the vial, a remarkable 'fountain' of particles was seen inside the vial. Particles from an unused tile or from a TFTR codeposit that formed during deuterium discharges did not exhibit this phenomenon. It appears that tritiated particles are more mobile than other particles, and this should be considered in assessing tokamak accident scenarios and in occupational safety.