Publications

Isotopic exchange between gaseous hydrogen and scandium dideuteride thin films

Mangan, M.A.; Browning, J.F.; Majoweski, J.

As part of a study to understand the long-term storage effects on scandium hydride thin films, an experiment has been conducted in which scandium dideuteride thin films were exposed to a hydrogen environment for various periods of time at ambient temperature. The resulting films were analysed using neutron reflectivity using the Surface Profile Analysis Reflectometer (SPEAR) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. Using neutron reflectivity and taking advantage of the large difference in the neutron scattering lengths of hydrogen and deuterium, the resulting changes in the film composition due to isotopic exchange and diffusion were observed as a function of the film depth.