ESR study of atomic hydrogen and tritium in solid T$_{2}$ and T$_{2}$:H$_{2}$ matrices below 1K (1609.06564v1)

Abstract: We report on the first ESR study of atomic hydrogen and tritium stabilized in a solid T${2}$ and T${2}$:H${2}$ matrices down to 70$\,$mK. The concentrations of T atoms in pure T${2}$ approached $2\times10^{20}$cm$^{-3}$ and record-high concentrations of H atoms $\sim1\times10^{20}$cm$^{-3}$ were reached in T${2}$:H${2}$ solid mixtures where a fraction of T atoms became converted into H due to the isotopic exchange reaction T+H$2\rightarrow$TH+H. The maximum concentrations of unpaired T and H atoms was limited by their recombination which becomes enforced by efficient atomic diffusion due to a presence of a large number of vacancies and phonons generated in the matrices by $\beta$-particles. Recombination also appeared in an explosive manner both being stimulated and spontaneously in thick films where sample cooling was insufficient. We suggest that the main mechanism for H and T migration is physical diffusion related to tunneling or hopping to vacant sites in contrast to isotopic chemical reactions which govern diffusion of H and D atoms created in H${2}$ and D$_{2}$ matrices by other methods.