Preface
The third "International Workshop on Tritium-Material Interactions" was held on May 20-21st, 2005, at Wel Sunpia Tateyama, locating in a resort area by Tateyama mountains in Toyama, as a satellite meeting of the 7th International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology (May 23-27th, 2005, Tokyo, Japan). The basic topics of tritium-material interactions were taken up as scope of this workshop, because it is of great importance in the future fusion devices as well as ITER to establish the safety handling technologies of a large amount of tritium. Site selection of ITER has been finished on the last summer. After this the ITER organization will be built up, and construction of the experimental reactor will start. From this viewpoint, basic data with respect to adsorption, dissolution, diffusion, permeation, trapping/detrapping of tritium in the fusion materials will play an important role in the state-of-the-art design. Seven papers were presented by invited speakers from overseas and Japan. The foreign invited speakers were from Sweden and Germany. The Japanese speakers were from the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Hokkaido University, Shizuoka University, and Toyama University. The meeting was in an appropriate size of about 40 attendants (including three attendees from overseas), giving a good opportunity to keep close contact for exchanging views and to deepen acquaintance each other.
By focusing attention to the tritium-material interactions, up-to-date information were presented from both basic and technological viewpoints as evaluation of the retention of tritium in plasma-facing materials, absorption of hydrogen isotopes in Pd-alloys, processing of tritiated water, and effects of radiation damage in ceramic breeders.
Each paper commanded strong interest of the attendants and aroused intense discussions. The discussions were liveliest in a very frank atmosphere. The workshop confirmed the importance of further studies on fundamental phenomena and elemental techniques related to the safety handling and confinement of tritium in a fusion reactor. There is a good reason to believe that the tritium management and safety control techniques can be developed extensively through worldwide systematic studies and cooperation.
Finally, thanks should be extended to all of the participants who made the workshop enjoyable and fruitful. Special thanks are due to Drs. M. Rubel, C.H. Wu and I. Cristescu visiting Toyama from overseas for presenting invaluable papers.