Work

Self-diffusion of liquid deuterium hydride and liquid tritium

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: We present a quasi-elastic neutron scattering study of liquid deuterium hydride carried out using the Disk Chopper Spectrometer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Under saturated vapor pressure, the self-diffusion constant of deuterium hydride obeys an Arrhenius law D=D0exp-EA/kBT, where the prefactor D0 is given by D0=9.5±1.2Å2/ps and the activation energy is given by EA = 58 ± 2 K. We apply the quantum law of corresponding states to the known diffusion constants of the hydrogen isotopologues. From this application, we estimate that D0≈9.1Å2/ps and EA ≈ 75 K in liquid tritium. Young's theory of quantum-mechanical effects in van der Waals fluids [Young, Phys. Rev. A 23, 1498 (1981)] is shown to apply to the diffusion constants of the liquid hydrogens. Our results underscore the importance of nuclear quantum effects in shaping the properties and behavior of the hydrogen isotopologues.

Source: The Journal of Chemical Physics

DOI: 10.1063/5.0230567

Authors: T. R. Prisk, S. Hanna, R. T. Azuah

Institutions: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST Center for Neutron Research

Language: English

Topic: Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy

Awards: G14554683, The NIST/NSF Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering