The quantum second virial coefficient as a predictor of formation of small spin-polarized tritium (T↓) clusters

Highlights: • The quantum second virial coefficient B_q has been calculated from first principles. • B_q quantifies the average magnitude and sign of interactions between T↓ atoms. • The main achievement of this work is the prediction of formation of T↓ clusters. The quantum second virial coefficient B_q has been used as a tool to quantify the average magnitude and sign of interactions between T↓ atoms. A negative B_q represents an overall attractive interaction. It is found that B_q of dilute gas is related to formation of small clusters. A very negative B_q indicates that interactions would be expected to be strongly attractive and predicts aggregation atoms to form clusters. It is concluded that B_q may be used as a predictor of formation of small spin-polarized tritium (T↓) clusters.