CHED 1021 |
| Recent investigations have revealed that the electric field produced by heating or cooling a pyro-electric crystal can be utilized to accelerate deuterons to enough energies that will initiate d + d fusion reactions. Although energies on the order of keV are not high enough to cross the Coulomb barrier, d + d fusion can be achieved due to a tunneling effect. This discovery suggests the possibility of developing a table-top, pyro-electric crystal-based neutron generator. The purpose of this project was to optimize a constructed pyro-electric crystal particle accelerator by modifying its system to increase the maximum accelerating potentials of the electrons and raise the detected neutron counting rate above background levels. Deuterium gas is leaked into a chamber containing a lithium tantalate crystal which, upon heating and cooling, produces a simultaneous emission of electrons and deuterium ions to and from a deuterated target. The deuterium ions fuse producing neutrons and helium, while the electrons produce x-rays and bremsstrahlung radiation. The neutrons are detected by a liquid scintillation neutron detector. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Physical Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |