https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510070212
On dewetting dynamics of solid films of hydrogen isotopes and its influence on tritium β spectroscopy
1
Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099 Mainz, Germany
2
Faculty of Physics, Konstanz University, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
Corresponding author: a christian.weinheimer@uni-mainz.de
Received:
30
December
1999
Published online: 15 August 2000
The dewetting dynamics of solid films of hydrogen isotopes, quench-condensed
on a graphite substrate, was measured
at various temperatures below desorption by observing the stray light from
the film. A schematic model describing the dewetting process by surface
diffusion is presented, which agrees qualitatively with our data. The
activation energies of different hydrogen isotopes for surface diffusion
were determined. The time constant for dewetting of a quench-condensed
film at the working temperature of 1.86 K
of the mainz neutrino mass experiment was extrapolated.
PACS: 67.80.Mg – Defects, impurities and diffusion / 67.70.+n – Films (including physical adsorption) / 68.45.Gd – Wetting / 23.40.-s – β-decay; double β decay; electron and muon capture
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2000
