ATOMIC-BEAM DETECTION WITH SINTERED METAL-OXIDES

We confirmed that sintered metal oxides of the Ni-Mn-Co system are sensitive to atomic hydrogen, but not to hydrogen gas molecules. Furthermore, it was recognized that the above oxides react not only with atomic hydrogen but also with atomic species of deuterium, oxygen and nitrogen in a similar manner. To find a clue for making the mechanism of the reaction clear, we prepared oxides of different composition in the ternary Ni-Mn-Co system and examined the sensitivities to atomic species of gaseous molecules. Related physical properties of these samples were also measured. By comparing these data, we have concluded that this reaction is correlated to the electric resistance and the thermal coefficient of materials, for all gases studied.