Tritium Production from Neutron-Nitrogen Interactions Using a 2D Model

Tritium is an important isotope of hydrogen used in deuterium- tritium (D-T) nuclear fusion reactors, but it is rare on Earth as it is only naturally occurring in the upper atmosphere as a result of galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) interactions. This study investigates tritium production by applying the nuclear reaction resulting from GCR interactions and a mathematical model for the flux of neutrons that reflect the energy levels associated with the resulting neutrons from D-T reactions to a two-dimensional domain. The results of this study indicate that for a feasible amount of tritium production, the density must be exceptionally higher than that of nitrogen gas. With this in mind, there needs to be significant alteration to the system to make this a feasible source of tritium production.