Solid State Theory
Theoretical Solid State Physics
Hydrogen is readily absorbed by many metals, alloys and intermetallic compounds. The hydrogen atoms occupy interstitial sites between the metal atoms. The hydrogen diffuses through the material by undergoing thermally activated jumps to near neighbour vacant sites. There are many variations to this simple picture of hydrogen in metals.
The study of hydrogen in metals is motivated partly by the intrinsic science and partly by the enormous implications of using metals as a storage medium for hydrogen as a fuel in motor vehicles. Much international research is underway to produce practical materials for hydrogen storage.
Research at UNE is concerned with the theories of nuclear spin relaxation and solid state diffusion, mainly applied to metal-hydrogen systems. Nuclear spin relaxation is a powerful nuclear magnetic resonance technique that can measure microscopic details of hydrogen and its diffusion in metals. The theory required to deduce this information relates the hydrogen site occupation and jump rates to the observable spin relaxation rates. Current work is applying this theory to hydrogen in complex intermetallic compounds.
Contact Adjunct Professor Colin Sholl.