Narrow Results

We report the results of neutron measurements carried out during the application of ultrasounds to bars of iron and steel. Like in our previous similar works with cavitated solutions of iron, neutrons were emitted in bursts and the spectrum of this peculiar emission was measured for the first time. A further and very interesting outcome of these experiments was the unexpected appearance of circular, macroscopical and regular damages on the lateral surface of the bars which was not directly in contact with the sonotrode. The superficial elemental microanalysis on these spots showed some interesting and macroscopic departures of the concentration of chemical elements from that of the undamaged surface, which may suggest that, along with the emission of neutrons, some transmutations occurred as well.

An accelerator-driven system (ADS), which combines a particle accelerator with a subcritical core, is commonly regarded as a promising device for the transmutation of nuclear waste, as well as a potential scheme for thorium-based energy production. So far the predominant choice of the accelerator for ADS is a superconducting linear accelerator (linac). This article gives a brief overview of ADS based on linacs, including the motivation, principle, challenges and research activities around the world. The status and future plan of the Chinease ADS (C-ADS) project will be highlighted and discussed in depth as an example.

In this paper, current Idaho Accelerator Center (IAC) activities based on the exploitation of high energy bremsstrahlung photons generated by linear electron accelerators will be reviewed. These beams are used to induce photonuclear interactions for a wide variety of applications in materials science, activation analysis, medical research, and nuclear technology. Most of the exploited phenomena are governed by the familiar giant dipole resonance cross section in nuclei. By proper target and converter design, optimization of photon and photoneutron production can be achieved, allowing radiation fields produced with both photons and neutrons to be used for medical isotope production and for fission product transmutation. The latter provides a specific application example that supports long-term fission product waste management. Using high-energy, highpower electron accelerators, we can demonstrate transmutation of radio-toxic, long-lived fission products (LLFP) such as ⁹⁹Tc and ¹²⁹I into short lived species. The latest experimental and simulation results will be presented.

Direct decomposition of water is very difficult in normal conditions. Hydrogen gas can be usually obtained by electrolysis or by a pyrolysis reaction at high temperatures, starting at approximately 3700°C. However, as we have already reported, anomalous heat generation can occur during plasma electrolysis, and this process makes it rather easy to achieve both electrolysis and pyrolysis simultaneously. In this paper we describe anomalous amounts of hydrogen and oxygen gas generated during plasma electrolysis. The generation of hydrogen far in excess of amounts predicted by Faraday’s law is continuously observed when conditions such as temperature, current density, input voltage, and electrode surface are suitable. Non-Faraday generation of hydrogen gas sometimes produces more than 80 times as much hydrogen as normal electrolysis does. Unfortunately there have been few claimed replications of excess hydrogen, even in rare cases in which excess heat is claimed. In most cases, no excess heat or hydrogen is observed. The reaction products found after electrolysis were different after excess heat generation.

An accelerator-driven system (ADS), which combines a particle accelerator with a subcritical core, is commonly regarded as a promising device for the transmutation of nuclear waste, as well as a potential scheme for thorium-based energy production. So far the predominant choice of the accelerator for ADS is a superconducting linear accelerator (linac). This article gives a brief overview of ADS based on linacs, including the motivation, principle, challenges and research activities around the world. The status and future plan of the Chinease ADS (C-ADS) project will be highlighted and discussed in depth as an example.