Debye Temperature and Quantum Diffusion of Hydrogen in Body-Centered Cubic Metals.

Diffusion of deuterium in potassium is studied herein. Mass transfer is controlled predominantly by the mechanism of overbarrier atomic jumps at temperatures 120-260 K and by the tunneling mechanism at 90-120 K. These results together with literature data allowed us to determine conditions under which the quantum diffusion of hydrogen in metals can be observed, which is a fundamental problem.

Characterization of the defect structure of oxide nanoparticles with the use of deuterium probes.

The method of using deuterium probes was proposed for studying the defect structure of oxide nanoparticles. It was based on the fact that in the course of annealing nanoparticles in deuterium, clusters consisting of point defects and deuterium atoms are formed. The content of the clusters depended on the type of defects.

Quantum Diffusion of Deuterium in Sodium.

The online nuclear reaction analysis technique has been applied to study the temperature dependence of deuterium diffusion coefficients for deuterium in sodium at temperatures ranging between 110 and 240 K, and at cryogenic temperatures, below 160 K, tunneling of deuterium atoms in the metal lattice has been observed. Above 160 K, diffusion occurs by the classical mechanism of overbarrier atomic jumps. Results of quantum diffusion of deuterium in a metal have been obtained for the first time; they used to be known only for the lightest hydrogen isotope, protium, in niobium and tantalum.