Ionization Chamber Development for the Detection of Tritium*

Three nucleon interactions (3NI) are important to the understanding of nuclear structure. Current models require 3NI to accurately fit reported data. The 3NI can be further understood by measuring the neutron-neutron scattering length through the photodisintegration of tritium. The tritium target that will be used in this experiment must be safely transported between buildings at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory. Because tritium is a radioactive material and highly reactive, precautions must be taken during transportation. Four ionization chambers were built in order to monitor the intermediate containment chamber for tritium leaks. Two ionization chambers are open in order to monitor for tritium while the remaining two chambers are sealed for background subtraction. All ionization chambers will operate in air and will be battery powered for mobility. The electrons emitted through tritium decay only travel a few millimeters in air, so tritium gas diffusion will be essential for detection. ⁹⁰Sr and ²⁴¹Am were used to test the ionization chambers. When exposed to the ²⁴¹Am source, the open detectors displayed a significant gain similar to what is expected should the tritium target leak.