RADIATION-INDUCED EXCHANGE REACTIONS IN SOLUTIONS OF HYDROGEN IN WATER

Abstract

The exchange of H, D, and T atoms between water and dissolved hydrogen has been studied in both heavy and light water solutions. Values of the "exchange yield", Gtracer, for the isotopic hydrogen atoms have been deduced and are identified with the yield of D atoms from HDO in H2O, H atoms from HDO in D2O, T atoms from HTO in H2O and from DTO in D2O. These values are correlated by assuming that the medium, H2O or D2O, affects the total probability of dissociation of the tracer molecule (HDO, HTO, DTO) and that in HDO H atoms are more readily dissociated than D atoms.