Radiography apparatus using gamma rays emitted by water activated by fusion neutrons
Abstract
Radiography apparatus includes an arrangement for circulating pure water continuously between a location adjacent a source of energetic neutrons, such as a tritium target irradiated by a deuteron beam, and a remote location where radiographic analysis is conducted. Oxygen in the pure water is activated via the .sup.16 O(n,p).sup.16 N reaction using .sup.14 -MeV neutrons produced at the neutron source via the .sup.3 H(d,n).sup.4 He reaction. Essentially monoenergetic gamma rays at 6.129 (predominantly) and 7.115 MeV are produced by the 7.13-second .sup.16 N decay for use in radiographic analysis. The gamma rays have substantial penetrating power and are useful in determining the thickness of materials and elemental compositions, particularly for metals and high-atomic number materials. The characteristic decay half life of 7.13 seconds of the activated oxygen is sufficient to permit gamma ray generation at a remote location where the activated water is transported, while not presenting a chemical or radioactivity hazard because the radioactivity falls to negligible levels after 1-2 minutes.
- Inventors:
-
- Plainfield, IL
- Ibaraki, JP
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 870679
- Patent Number(s):
- 5572559
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21G - CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21K - TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- radiography; apparatus; gamma; rays; emitted; water; activated; fusion; neutrons; arrangement; circulating; pure; continuously; location; adjacent; source; energetic; tritium; target; irradiated; deuteron; beam; remote; radiographic; analysis; conducted; oxygen; via; 16; reaction; 14; -mev; produced; neutron; essentially; monoenergetic; 129; predominantly; 115; mev; 13-second; decay; substantial; penetrating; power; useful; determining; thickness; materials; elemental; compositions; particularly; metals; high-atomic; characteristic; half; life; 13; sufficient; permit; ray; generation; transported; chemical; radioactivity; hazard; falls; negligible; levels; 1-2; minutes; neutrons produced; mev neutrons; gamma rays; gamma ray; neutron source; remote location; rays emitted; pure water; half life; radiography apparatus; elemental composition; fusion neutrons; energetic neutrons; energetic neutron; /376/378/
Citation Formats
Smith, Donald L, Ikeda, Yujiro, and Uno, Yoshitomo. Radiography apparatus using gamma rays emitted by water activated by fusion neutrons. United States: N. p., 1996.
Web.
Smith, Donald L, Ikeda, Yujiro, & Uno, Yoshitomo. Radiography apparatus using gamma rays emitted by water activated by fusion neutrons. United States.
Smith, Donald L, Ikeda, Yujiro, and Uno, Yoshitomo. Mon .
"Radiography apparatus using gamma rays emitted by water activated by fusion neutrons". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/870679.
@article{osti_870679,
title = {Radiography apparatus using gamma rays emitted by water activated by fusion neutrons},
author = {Smith, Donald L and Ikeda, Yujiro and Uno, Yoshitomo},
abstractNote = {Radiography apparatus includes an arrangement for circulating pure water continuously between a location adjacent a source of energetic neutrons, such as a tritium target irradiated by a deuteron beam, and a remote location where radiographic analysis is conducted. Oxygen in the pure water is activated via the .sup.16 O(n,p).sup.16 N reaction using .sup.14 -MeV neutrons produced at the neutron source via the .sup.3 H(d,n).sup.4 He reaction. Essentially monoenergetic gamma rays at 6.129 (predominantly) and 7.115 MeV are produced by the 7.13-second .sup.16 N decay for use in radiographic analysis. The gamma rays have substantial penetrating power and are useful in determining the thickness of materials and elemental compositions, particularly for metals and high-atomic number materials. The characteristic decay half life of 7.13 seconds of the activated oxygen is sufficient to permit gamma ray generation at a remote location where the activated water is transported, while not presenting a chemical or radioactivity hazard because the radioactivity falls to negligible levels after 1-2 minutes.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1996},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1996}
}