High performance power sources integrating an ion media and radiation

A system comprising:

• an electrical load;
• and
• a power supply for powering the electrical load, the power supply comprising:
• a radioactive source that emits charged particle radiation;
• ion-producing media positioned adjacent to the radioactive source, wherein the ion-producing media comprises a material that includes carbon and releases ions in response to exposure to the charged particle radiation;
• and
• a set of two or more electrodes configured to:
• capture ions released by the ion-producing media in response to exposure to the charged particle radiation emitted by the radioactive source;
• and
• generate electric current from the captured ions.

A method of generating electric current, the method comprising:

• establishing, by a set of two or more electrodes, an electrostatic field across ion-producing media positioned adjacent to a radioactive source, wherein:
• the radioactive source emits charged particle radiation;
• and
• the ion-producing media comprises a material that includes carbon and releases ions by undergoing ionization from a non-ionized form in response to exposure to the charged particle radiation in the presence of the electrostatic field;
• capturing, by the set of two or more electrodes, ions released through ionization of the ion-producing media in response to exposure to the charged particle radiation emitted by the radioactive source;
• and
• generating, by the set of two or more electrodes, the electric current from the captured ions.