Neutron Generators

["Wesley M. Dunn" <WDUNN@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us>]

Bill,

While not familiar with the GE neutron generator in particular, they
are generally accelerators which use a D-D or D-T reaction to create
the neutron flux.  The D-T reactions bombard a tritium target (e.g.,
titanium tritide; Curie quantities) with deuterons.  Nowadays, they
use evacuated tubes, which are a great improvement on the originals,
which used evacuated systems that led to large puffs of tritium
whenever you cracked the system (not to mention the stuff in the
vacuum pump oil).

Wes

> Date:          Wed, 8 May 96 15:29:57 -0500
> Reply-to:      radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> From:          "William Kolb" <William_Kolb_at_SETA@mail.hq.faa.gov>
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject:       Re: Juno-7 parts -Reply

> BTW, "At Work in the Fields of the Bomb" claims the neutron generator is a high
> vacuum tube manufactured by GE in their St Petersburg, FLA plant. The bottom
> line is that they can electronically generate neutrons in a small device.  A
> quick search of the web for neutron generators turned up some papers but nothing
> in the way of physical theory that I could relate to the small GE tubes. Is this
> stuff classified?
>
> bill

*********************************************************************
Wesley M. Dunn, C.H.P.                     512-834-6688
Deputy Director, Licensing                 512-834-6690 (fax)
(Texas) Bureau of Radiation Control        wdunn@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us
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