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: Stripping - the answer???
Date: Nov 18, 2:32 am
Poster: Dave Cooper

On Nov 18, 2:32 am, Dave Cooper wrote:

Richard - I hope you aren't casting me in with naysayers and scoffers... I am just trying to understand what the definitive experiment or results (if either exists) would be.

As long as people can claim "stripping" takes place, merely detecting neutrons will not satisfy them. I don't know anything about stripping neutrons. But... presumably, those who attribute the Fusors' neutron production to stripping, have in mind a rather low energy process, in the order of 20 KeV or even less. Since KeV is an energy, without regard to charge or mass, it would seem that either electrons, protons or Deuterons could provide sufficient collisional energy to "strip" neutrons. It seems hard to envision a low energy ion precipitating a multi MEV process.... unless a fusion (or fission , I guess) process was involved.

This suggests at least one kind of experiment, which could be done with a simple electron gun geometry and a std Neutron detector. Simply bombard low Pressure Deuterium gas with electrons up to whatever KeV level is desired. I have access to a special kind of eBeam tube.. (we make them) with a 3 micron thick Si window. Allows electrons above 30 kV to pass through.. and below that.. down to about 1.6 KeV, Xrays, only.

I have already done measurements using the tube as its own residual pressure gage. It is possible to obtain ion currents of nano amps from 100 uA emission current at internal pressures of 1E-6 to 1E-9 torr. This is of course very much like a common hot filament ionization gage.

Couldn't a tube like this filled with deuterium, provide evidence of stripping by raising the voltage and looking for neutrons. Or, equivalently, using the tube {or a simple electron gun} to bombard D at low pressure, and again... look for neutrons. If they were found at a few tens of KeV, then something other than fusion must be occurring. If not, then some other source must be responsible for the Neutrons in a fusor.

Just some ideas to mull over.

Dave Cooper