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Please take a moment to introduce yourself in this forum and tell us about your interest. You must use your full real name. We do not allow the used of "handles" and pseudonyms on this site.
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Anand Boodram
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Hello!

Post by Anand Boodram »

Hello, my name is Anand Boodram from NY. I am interested in constructing an Farnsworth IEC fusor with funding from my school. However, to acquire said funding I need to know how reliable the information (which is a lot, I read through the FAQs) on this forum is. In other words I need to know the credentials of the administrators of this site in order to convince my high school that this is a reliable source. I've wanted to make a fusor for a very long time and have spent a lot of time researching the science behind it and the reactor itself. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
ian_krase
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Real name: Ian Krase

Re: Hello!

Post by ian_krase »

The main thing to do will be too look at the fusion club. Anybody who has done fusion is a reliable source.

If you're looking for formal credentials, I don't know if you will get them and you shouldn't care. Not to mention that there are dozens of posters here and incorrect info is not necessary always contradicted.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Hello!

Post by Richard Hull »

Incorrect information that is obviously injurious or dangerous or that would send someone down a path leading to tears is always contradicted. Flatout, ridiculous, looney word salad postings, by the self-deluded, are deleted immediately. As always, we also rely on a bit of self-directed learning from those landing here seeking to do fusion. As in the real, cold, cruel world, we are not here to spoon feed the indolent or lazy aspirant.

Rely heavily on the FAQs as they are rigidly controlled. Scientific and material errors are corrected and watched over by the best folks here.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Dennis P Brown
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Re: Hello!

Post by Dennis P Brown »

The credential that really matters and the one that is solely used by science is peer review; that is done here by the very people who do fusion using fusors.

Peer review is THE gold standard by which all science works.That is why we use our names here and are expected to accept criticisms and corrections as needed.Yes, we use the scientific method of empirical proof via experiment but that is not the issue you raise. However, certainly we address incorrect or highly questionable information by challenging it. Generally such posts are either supported or corrected or addressed by other posters - rarely are posts removed unless they are, as Richard describes, word salads or similar nonsense. This is all done in a professional manner. I should know since I often have had others make corrections to my posts (lol.)

Yes, we can be informal at times but that does not in any manner change the fact that nearly all accepted work and research done here is no less valid then that done in any other research/knowledge based forum. That said, since fusors have already had extensive theoretical work done by the scientific community over the years, that aspect of work is generally not posted here nor really appropriate - this site generally deals with practical matters relating to building and operating fusors and support equipment.

Certainly we allow anyone to post that follows the rules of this forum but this forum is for doing experimental based work/research for fusor construction and operation - as such, we allow questions and problems to be posted; while that is generally not done in most "formal" scientific forums in such a simple manner, this forum is for experimenters and people who build real world equipment. As such, we are more flexible then strict journals in that regards. That does not change the fact we use rigorous and science based methodologies to maintain the validity of this forum.

People that post results here are expected to defend them and provide empirical proof to such claims.

If that isn't sufficient proof of the valid scientific nature of this forum, then no published scientific journal will be acceptable either for your school.

If knowledge in the field of fusion is an issue, check my credentials. I have complete confidence in the people and work presented here and that it meets the highest standards using peer review.
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Dennis P Brown
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Re: Hello!

Post by Dennis P Brown »

Now back to your introduction: when you say "I am interested in constructing an Farnsworth IEC fusor" I assume you will build a simple fusor - i.e. no deuteron gun(s). Maybe clarify your post.
Anand Boodram
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Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:25 pm
Real name: Anand Boodram

Re: Hello!

Post by Anand Boodram »

Thank you greatly for your replys, they have been very helpful. To clarify what I want to do: yes I want to build a simple fusor but I really want to make ion guns as well to increase the probability of fusion occurring. I'm still in the researching and designing phase and I want to work everything out before I go and spend thousands of dollars on the wrong things. The way I see it, if you are to do something why not do it perfectly.
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Dennis P Brown
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Real name: Dennis Brown

Re: Hello!

Post by Dennis P Brown »

As to buying any equipment, do your research here under the FAQ's but if you have questions don't hesitate to ask. People here are a tremendous resource relative to this issue - and also how to find both good deals and lowest cost items (the where and what of buying fusor equipment.) They can help guide you and prevent incorrect purchases of items (as long as you understand that you alone are solely responsible for all decisions - not people here making suggestions.)

You bring up an excellent question relative to your desire to add deuterium ion guns to a fusor. Check both the FAQ's and postings in the ion gun forum on this subject. Pay close attention to collisional cross sections for deuterium-deuterium fusion and the atomic density of these ions in a fusor - I think you may be in for a reevaluation of that objective.

Also, detecting any fusion in a fusor is very difficult and rarely accurate relative to quantifying experimental results and especially to changes in fusor performance relative to ion gun(s); further, just calibrating a neutron detector is rather involved and far more difficult process then just hooking up said detector (assuming one is buying a turn-key unit (very expensive.)) Again, study the FAQ's. These are questions you should answer yourself before deciding on a fusor build.

A quick link/suggestion: if you are primarily interested in deuterium ion "guns", consider this device: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=10791. The build is easier then a full scale fusor since one need not be concerned with a fusor grade power supply (but still, a very involved project and not to be taken lightly.) However, detecting activated materials via gamma rays does not require a neutron detector.

In any case, welcome to this forum and best of luck with your research.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Hello!

Post by Richard Hull »

Pictures are always worth a thousand words. We have a vast repository of images, in some detail, related to fusor construction in the image du jour forum.

For a great "monkey see...monkey do", you might study, in great detail, the images submitted of real working fusors over the years in the above mentioned forum to see the types of items and materials used in completely successful fusors. You might note a common theme in construction, but also observe many variations in the detailed specifics and minutia of how each individual conquered the task, in your quest for "perfection".

As noted above, in other posts, this site is for "hands-on" fusion work. Theory is discussed only in an effort to give broad brush concepts of the fusion process, as used here. Many of people arriving here are amateur scientists or just curious observers who arrive without even a working knowledge of the fusion process at the basic theoretical level. We come back to our reliance on self-directed learning that is incumbant on the individual who seeks to do fusion.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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