Silver Activation Detector

[Rezwan]

What are they? How can they best be deployed?

This instrument uses a standard method for counting neutrons and is much more sensitive than the solid-state commercial neutron dosimeters we already have. Neutrons from the device are moderated down to lower energies by layers of plastic and then collide with two thin silver foils. Some of the silver absorbs the neutrons to form radioactive isotopes that decay very rapidly—one half-life in 24 seconds. The particles emitted by the decaying silver nuclei go through several layers of scintillator plastic, creating flashes of light that are amplified by a photomultiplier tube. The pulses from this tube go to electron circuitry which counts them. The number of counts is then proportional to the number of neutrons emitted. We are currently using this device on each shot, but are still calibrating it and it is not yet as reliable as the Far Time-of-Flight detectors in measuring neutrons. Soon it will be a cross-check on the FTF.

[Aeronaut]

Looks like the universal (unquestionable) test instrument. The referee, if you will. Settles all disputes except for those involving closed minds (see this month’s Discover Magazine’s bird experiments, lol)

I’m guessing the best use is as an independent cross-check on the existing instrumentation. As the available power ramps up, we’ll begin finding sweet and sour spots where that extra resolution is our ace in the hole.

[Phil’s Dad]

I’m floundering a bit here. Doesn’t this mean we now have two ways of measuring the thing we are ultimately aiming to have none of? :blank:

[Rezwan]

Stages, my friend. First, they’re using Deuterium – precisely to measure the neutrons so they can calculate how much fusion is taking place with different tweakings of the machine. They move to the neutron free stuff later.

Everybody speaks the language of Deuterons (Deuteri? Deuteronomy?), so it’s where you start setting up the experiment.

This reminds me of the time I tried to explain that chickens and humans have very similar bone structure. The chicken “wing” is our hand and fore-arm. The “drumette” is our shoulder to elbow. This was not obvious to my dinner mates, who thought all those drummettes came from tiny chickens. They could not accept that the drumette was a chicken “arm”. I did all kinds of arm gestures trying to mimmick a chicken wing. They would not be convinced.

Finally, they noticed the writing on the package, which said “wing drummettes.”

My brilliant analogies were in vain.

And I’m sure the connection between the chicken arms and fusion measurement in stages is also somewhat confusing.

Oh! A much more useful analogy. Like going to a doctor and getting radioactive dye injected so they can monitor your arteries. Neutrons are useful fusion markers.

[Phil’s Dad]

Thanks mo’alem

Never done the radio active dye thing but I did fire a chicken gun once (they were testing A380 composite skins). Without a doubt human bones would have ended up looking the same if they used them for the test.:sick:

PS
I like the Italian Deuteri if only because it is an anogram of erudite; but please let it be Deuteronomy – on so many levels. Literaly the “Second Law”, perhaps the second major step after pinch? And of course it is a review of the past 40 years in the wilderness with the promised land to look foward to. Nice. 🙂

Attached files

[Breakable]

Probably just a new type of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillation_counter
instead of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiger_counter

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