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| 03-03-2004 | Previous edition: 03-02-2004 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Sound waves may aid nuclear fusion reactionsFrom University ReportsResearchers at Purdue are reporting new evidence in support of findings that sound waves can be used in nuclear fusion reactions. The new discovery could be the technology of the future as well as be used to synthesize materials inexpensively. The finding is that "sonofusion" generates nuclear reactions by creating tiny bubbles, which implode with tremendous force. The researchers have found evidence to prove this theory. Rusi Taleyarkhan is the principal investigator and a professor of nuclear engineering at Purdue. In effect, the research team is producing nuclear emissions in a simple desktop apparatus. The discovery allows, for the first time in history, the ability to use a simple mechanical force to initiate conditions comparable to the interiors of stars. The sonofusion device can be built much more cheaply than nuclear fusion reactors, which have historically required large, multibillion-dollar machines. Sonofusion devices can be built for a fraction of that cost. This new technology may someday result in a new class of low-cost, compact detectors for security applications, which could use neutrons to probe the contents of suitcases. Research devices could use neutrons to analyze the molecular structures of materials or in tumor treatment. It could also lead to new techniques to study various phenomena in cosmology, including the workings of neutron stars and black holes. The device is a glass canister in which there is deuterated acetone. The acetone contains heavy hydrogen, which contains one proton and one neutron in its nucleus. Normal hydrogen contains only one proton in its nucleus. The researchers expose the canister of liquid to pulses of neutrons every five milliseconds. At the same time, this liquid is bombarded with a specific frequency of ultrasound, which causes the cavities to form into bubbles that are about 60 nanometers. Within nanoseconds the large bubbles expand and then quickly contract with tremendous force, returning to roughly their original size. Flashes of light are released in a well-known phenomenon known as sonoluminescence. Researchers estimate that temperatures inside the imploding bubbles reach 10 million degrees Celsius. The process also releases a type of radiation called gamma rays and a radioactive material called tritium according to the research team’s measurements. In the future, these products could be fused with deuterium and used as a fuel to drive energy-producing reactions. Future work will focus on studying ways to scale up the device, which will be necessary before it can be used in practical applications. In addition, the research team plans to create a portable device that will operate without the need for expensive equipment. This approach and the new experimental results are being published in an article titled "Additional Evidence of Nuclear Emissions During Acoustic Cavitation," which is scheduled to be posted on Physical Review E’s Web site and published in its journal this month. Printer-friendly version |
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