Modelling and experimental investigation of tritium-titanium target degradation studies using SDTrimSP and 14 MeV neutron generator facility at IPR

The current article explores the process of tritium depletion in a tritium-titanium target as a result of interaction with deuterium ion beam through modelling using SDTrimSP code for key interaction phenomena’s which include sputtering, ion exchange, outgassing and diffusion. Layer-wise loss in tritium contribution has been predicted by each interaction process with the help of customised script. SDTrimSP adopts binary collision approximation method based on Monte Carlo which gives change in the atomic fraction details for each time and irradiation step in the tritium-titanium target. These details are further utilised in predicting tritium distribution layer-wise, which is further extended in predicting the variation in neutron yield using Python-based script. Change in atomic fraction, D-T reaction cross-section, depletion in tritium coupled with stopping power of deuterium ions in the target are key input parameters for estimating the target degradation. Results for degradation in target with corresponding reduction in neutron yield obtained through layer-wise distribution of tritium atoms in the target from SDTrimSP simulations under various irradiation conditions and deuterium beam energies has been presented. The customized script employed in this work is an extension of a rigorously validated and peer-reviewed methodology presented in earlier research [58] which additionally takes into account experimental validation of the target degradation along with simulation results for D⁺ energies 150, 185, 200, 250 & 300 keV.