Production of Tritium and ⁴He in a Large Cylinder of ⁶LiD Irradiated with 14-MeV Neutrons and Comparison with Monte Carlo Calculations

A large cylindrical assembly of ⁶LiD was irradiated by neutrons from a high-intensity deuterium-tritium source. Small samples of ⁶Li, ⁷Li, and ⁶LiH, all encapsulated in lead, were positioned along the assembly axis and served as indicators for ⁴He and tritium production. The amount of ⁴He was determined by isotope dilution mass spectrometry while the tritium content of the ⁶LiH wafers was measured by proportional counting of gas samples. Careful comparison of the results with TART Monte Carlo calculations showed excellent agreement. For ⁴He generation, the experimental values were 1.01 ± 0.06 times those of the calculations, while for tritium the ratio was 1.055 ± 0.07.