Jackson
Hazard to Others
Posts: 189
Registered: 22-5-2018
Location: U S of A
Member Is Offline
Mood:  Happy about new glassware
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DIY Neutron Gun viability?
I am looking to make a neutron source so I can do some basic radioactivity experiments. I obviously don’t need super high neutron counts, because
all I want to do is make some basic things like making silver or gold slightly radioactive. I have looking into making a weak AmBe neutron source, and
its probably what I will do, but I have an idea for an electric neutron gun. My idea is, you have an ion source at the end of a short tube, with the
tube Andy ion source being both positively charged. Then at the end of the tube there would be a beryllium target that is negatively charged and is
insulated from the metal walls of the tube using an alumina ceramic tube. Basically what happens is that the tube is pumped down to vacuum, charged,
and then a small amount of helium is let in through the ion source. The helium nuclei then collide with the beryllium and react to release a neutron
and form carbon. Is this even possible to do in a home setting? It seems like it would need similar materials to a Farnsworth fusor. It also is
something that if I do it, I would plan on doing it over a longish period of time, just because of price and things like that.
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Ubya
International Hazard
Posts: 1232
Registered: 23-11-2017
Location: Rome-Italy
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Mood: I'm a maddo scientisto!!!
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i considered building something like that, and the first step would be to play with a lenard tube (accelerated electrons exit a window and go in the
atmophere.
the problem is that the alpha particle emitted by a Am-241 atom has an energy of 5.486 MeV, i suspect i would need to accelerate those helium nuclei
to about that energy, but in an amateur setting getting a 5MeV helium beam is not really easy
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feel free to correct my grammar, or any mistakes i make
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wg48temp9
National Hazard
Posts: 761
Registered: 30-12-2018
Location: not so United Kingdom
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I suggest the OP read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_generator.
It would be possible to build an accelerator type neutron generator in home setting but it would be a seriously major project requiring much
knowledge of high voltage and a vacuum techniques that most people do not have. Not to mention the high cost, time and space required.
[Edited on 1-3-2019 by wg48temp9]
[Edited on 2-3-2019 by wg48temp9]
I am wg48 but not on my usual pc hence the temp handle.
Thank goodness for Fleming and the fungi.
Old codger' lives matters, wear a mask and help save them.
Be aware of demagoguery, keep your frontal lobes fully engaged.
I don't know who invented mRNA vaccines but they should get a fancy medal and I hope they made a shed load of money from it.
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