Fusion Message Board

In this space, visitors are invited to post any comments, questions, or skeptical observations about Philo T. Farnsworth's contributions to the field of Nuclear Fusion research.

Subject: Re: 100 kV technique
Date: Feb 25, 5:01 pm
Poster: Pierce Nichols

On Feb 25, 5:01 pm, Pierce Nichols wrote:


>Component issues might not be as bad as you think. Many electronic components are hermetically sealed. The real difference between space parts (which have to be vacuum compatible) and consumer is the testing, reliability (and documentation!), not the manufacturing process.

The issue is how much the packages outgas. That means you pretty much need ceramic packages, which kicks the cost way up.

>And probably cheaper... Xray supplies are regularly available (tubeless) on the surplus market

Undoubtedly :). One of my un-indicted co-conspirators has a contact who deals in them surplus.

>However, if you are doing particle counting you might want longer run times to get more counts above the noise floor.

This is so; I had forgotten about that issue. You'd have to find a better way to cool the supply, say by streaming cold dry N2 from the top of a dewar through the supply.

-p