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RE: Nuclear Powered Drone Aircraft
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993406
The idea of powering a UAV with a "quantum nucleonic reactor", using x-rays to "turn on" the gamma ray emission of Hf-178m was based on a reported 4% increase in gamma intensity from an irradiated Hf-178m source using a dental x-ray unit (http://www.utdallas.edu/research/quantum/isomer/PRL00695.pdf). A subsequent report from LLNL/LANL/ANL scientists in 2001 ("Search for X-Ray Induced Acceleration of the Decay of the 31-Yr Isomer 178Hf Using Synchrotron Radiation", I. Ahmad, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 072503/1-4 (2001) ) seemed to contradict the claim of accelerated gamma emissions (see also http://www.aps.anl.gov/highlights/FOREFRONPDFs/47forefront_ahmad.pdf and www.llnl.gov/llnl/06news/NewsReleases/2001/NR-01-08-05.html).
Rick
Richard G. Strickert, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
Signature Science LLC
8329 North Mopac Blvd.
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(512) 533-2009 (Phone)
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rstrickert@signaturescience.com
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