Carharttguy
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DIY Linac?
Hello everybody.
After acquiring various radioactive metals, I'm getting interested in everything nuclear related. I read a lot on internet about DIY cyclotrons and
the fact that tey're not too hard to build. But they have one big disadvantage: they can only accelerate particles that are charged, so no neutrons.
What about building your own Linac that is capable of accelerating neutrons? Is it possible, or total fixtion?
Anyone has a clue, experiences or an opinion about this subject?
Sorry for my English. Thanks
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phlogiston
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Neutrons cannot be accelerated in a LINAC either. Because they use electromagnetic fields to accelerate (charged) particles.
It is possible to make neutrons with a LINAC though (or accelerators of other design) by impacting the right particles on the right target, perhaps
that confused you.
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"If a rocket goes up, who cares where it comes down, that's not my concern said Wernher von Braun" - Tom Lehrer |
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Carharttguy
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Indeed, I was confused. Sorry about that.
But, the big question remains for now: is there a way to accelerate neutrons to collide with atoms at home?
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Carharttguy
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Indeed, I was confused. Sorry about that.
But, the big question remains for now: is there a way to accelerate neutrons to collide with atoms at home?
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Oscilllator
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So far as I know you cant accelerate neutrons at all, since they aren't affected by electric/magnetic fields. They get produced in nuclear reactions
at a certain speed, and they can't be accelerated beyond that speed short of dropping them down a gravity well.
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HgDinis25
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Nuclear Fission of Uranium-235 yelds some very energetic neutrons 
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Metacelsus
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You could build an inertial electrostatic confinement fusion reactor (just barely within the reach of amateurs).
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IrC
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Quote: Originally posted by Oscilllator  | | So far as I know you cant accelerate neutrons at all, since they aren't affected by electric/magnetic fields. They get produced in nuclear reactions
at a certain speed, and they can't be accelerated beyond that speed short of dropping them down a gravity well. |
Long have I wondered if this were 100 percent true, how do Neutrons manage to end up Spin polarized by use of magnetic fields.
http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2011/ph241/ray1/
www.google.com/url?q=http://e-collection.library.ethz.ch/eserv/eth:6592/eth-6592-02.pdf&sa=U&ei=d0uXU6LHPNO-sQTP9oCQCA&ved=0CCEQFjAD&u
sg=AFQjCNFbe-0P3IsuPrJjuzjYSF2HabdhVA
www.google.com/url?q=http://orph02.phy.ornl.gov/groups/neutrons/golubandlamoreaux.pdf&sa=U&ei=d0uXU6LHPNO-sQTP9oCQCA&ved=0CBgQFjAB&usg
=AFQjCNET8_ZE4LX-I5S_WkhH8-0EKut7NA
Attachment: Deutsch_proofs_revised-2.pdf (431kB)
This file has been downloaded 477 times
The two google links will not post right, and link to PDF's too large to post. Copy/paste in a new window does get the files.
[Edited on 6-10-2014 by IrC]
"Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" Richard Feynman
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phlogiston
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Interesting, I never gave that any thought, but I found the following site provides a couple of good descriptions of various methods to produce
polarised neutrons:
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Polarized+Neutron...
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neptunium
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got a strong alpha source? got Beryllium? there you go ! neutrons!
or, are you trying to accelerate alpha particles made from helium atoms? now there is an in interesting chalenge for you!
how much are you willing to spend? fascinating subject nuclear physics but hum.... aint cheap!
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