Switchable radioactive neutron source device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsRobert E. Boyar, Alexander DeVolpi, George S. Stanford, Edgar A. Rhodes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention is a switchable neutron generating apparatus comprised of a pair of plates, the first plate having an alpha emitter section on it and the second plate having a target material portion on it which generates neutrons when its nuclei absorb an alpha particle. In operation, the alpha portion of the first plate is aligned with the neutron portion of the second plate to produce neutrons and brought out of alignment to cease production of neutrons.
Claims33
A switchable neutron generating device comprising:
- a. a first plate having an alpha emitting portion thereon, said first plate having a central aperture therein;
- b. a second plate adjacent to said first plate and having a target portion thereof, said second plate also having a central aperture therein;
- c. a shaft passing through and connected at the central aperture of one of said plates and passing through but not connected to the central aperture of the other of said plates;
- and
- d. rotating means for rotating said shaft and thereby one of said plate with respect to the other plate
- whereby neutrons can be generated from the target portion of said second plate.
A switchable neutron generating device comprising:
- a. a capsule;
- b. a first plate surface having an alpha emitting portion, said first plate surface located inside said capsule;
- c. a second plate surface adjacent to said first plate surface and having a target portion, said second plate surface also located inside said capsule;
- d. an armature located inside said capsule and connected to one of said plate surfaces, and;
- e. rotating means located outside said capsule adjacent to said armature, said rotating means capable of inducing movement of said armature through said capsule by magnetism
- whereby the alpha emitting portion of said first plate surface and the target portion of said second plate surface can be proximately aligned thereby generating neutrons from the target portion of said second plate surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.