RADIATION-CATALYZED ORTHO-TO-PARA TRANSITION IN SOLID TRITIUM

The ortho-to-para conversion time in solid tritium has been measured by NMR techniques. The observed rate is at least ten times faster than the temperature-independent self-conversion in solid H2 and increases exponentially as the temperature decreases, e.g., the 1e times are 490 min at 22.5 K and 64 min at 9.1 K. Because of the analogous situation in solid H2, where atomic H is created when the solid is irradiated, it appears that in T2, the T atoms are the most likely catalysts for the ortho-para conversion. © 1979 The American Physical Society.