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neutron moderators

Now that we have our source of neutrons, we are willing to bomb anything that puts us ahead to create our radioisotopes. But not so fast.

Neutrons from our source (be it in whatever form) have a problem going at speed. These neutrons need to be stopped a bit to enter the nucleus and form the new radioisotope.

thermal neutrons are those with an acceleration that is below 0.025 eV, which would be a kinetic speed of 2.2 m / s. To achieve the fission of a fissile atom, the Neutron need this speed or less.
But really need that speed so low? No.

Each element to let you enter a neutron will need this speed or another, so the neutron go to a speed of about 100-50 eV or less, enough for you to create your own radioisotopes, as many atoms "accept" the neutrons from these speeds. And if mejor.Pero are lower again, if what you want is to trigger a fission (provided that you have a fissile material) really will need a thermal neutron (0.025 eV or less).

How to reduce the speed of a neutron


For this we use a moderator. Let me explain:

A neutron is reducing its speed through impact. Every time that hits an atom, its speed is reduced. If the colliding atom has a mass similar to the neutron, this will greatly reduce its kinetic energy. In short, the moderator needs to be composed of a light element such as hydrogen, deuterium, helium, beryllium, carbon or metallic sodium.
Boron and lithium are, by their ability to absorb neutrons.

why we put a chair containing a large proportion of some of these elements, or whether these elements directly.

hydrogen and deuterium are gaseous, so we have to use a compound of them, including light water, heavy water or paraffin.

Helium is a gas and is not made, we are not worth it.

Beryllium ... Look at who we have put in our sources beryllium to produce neutrons. Beryllium That reduces some speed, but need more. If you have a rather large block of Beryl, you know to use.

Carbon: you can use a block of graphite. ... I find that sodium metal can be expensive. Will not know how to use amorphous sodium, I guess it will be similar and cheaper than cash, of course.

Do not worry about how many centimeters moderator to. With about 15 cm you will be fine, but the more the merrier.

But do not compliqueis life: heavy water is the best mderador but you need large quantities and is very expensive. It is best to use polyethylene melt at 110 ° C so that it made a block, or paraffin blocks borada.Esta sell in UnitedNuclear . It is widely used by students and is very cheap. On the page that I have left you will find a box full of it for 100 €, but why so? Here you can buy it for $ 2 blocks to the block (less than 2 €). They also sell Beryllium (above the borated paraffin), so make your purchase. They even have this PDF upon activation de la Plata, so that you are learning.

Well, I leave. Then I will tell you as knowing that you have created isotopes, according to what you were bombed, and as fell.

But think that we are not activating nothing more than a few atoms, the more sources tengais better.

Salu2!