Sarov Tritium Neutrino Experiment (SATURNE)

ABOUT PHYSICS TRITIUM SOURCE DETECTORS COLLABORATION PUBLICATIONS

Tritium is an unstable, radioactive isotope of hydrogen. It has a half-life of 12.3 years and decays via the β^- decay ³H → ³He + e^- + ν̅_e. The energy spectrum of emitted electron antineutrinos lies in the range from 0 to 18.6 keV, with an average energy < E_ν > = 12.9 keV.

The principal design of a tritium neutrino source was worked out in A. A. Yukhimchuk et al., Status of works on a 40-MCi-activity tritium source for the measurement of the antineutrino magnetic moment, Fusion Sci. Technol. 48, 731 (2005), DOI, [pdf]. It is a set of tubular elements, in which tritium is in a chemically bound state on titanium (TiT₂). Titanium powder in bulk form is placed in the tubular element. Then the titanium powder is thermally activated and saturated with tritium, after which the tubular element is sealed. This tubular element design will be classified as a "closed radionuclide source." According to the radiation safety regulations No. RB-99/2009 "A closed radionuclide source is a radiation source, the design of which prevents the release of radionuclides contained in it into the environment under the conditions of use and wear for which it is designed." This implies that the design of the tubular element is made in such a way that it is possible to extract tritium from it only under special factory conditions.

The amount of tritium in each tubular element is not more than that permissible for its safe handling during transportation and operation, in accordance with current national and international standards. The mass of tritium in each tubular element is no more than 50 g (0.5 MCi). For a specific detecting system, the geometry of the tubular element must be selected according to the following conditions: (i) the efficiency of using neutrinos, (ii) ensuring the convenience of production and operation of the tubular element, and (iii) securing the safety of working with the tubular elements and the experimental apparatus as a whole.

See also
Neganov B.S.,Trofimov V.N., Stepankin V.N. A Proposal on Cryogenic Detection of Neutrino Magnetic Moment at a Level Better Than 10^-11 μ_B (Bohr Magneton). J. Low Temp. Phys. 93, 745-749 (1993), DOI [pdf].
Неганов Б.С., Трофимов В.Н., Юхимчук А.А., Богданова Л.Н. Тритиевый источник (анти)нейтрино активностью 40 МКи. ЯФ, т. 64, № 2, с.308-312 (2001), [pdf].
Martemyanov V.P., et al. Probing of the Neutrino Magnetic Moment at the Levev of 10^-12 μ_B with an Intense Tritium Source of (Anti)Neutrino and Helium Target (Project). Fusion Sci. Technol. 67, 535-538 (2015), DOI [pdf].
Yukhimchuk А.А., Ilkaev R.I. Status of efforts on fundamental and applied studies with tritium at RFNC-VNIIEF. Fusion Sci. Technol. 67, 666-670 (2015), DOI [pdf].