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Originally posted by Orwells Ghost
This is where we enter the mysterious realm of the so called "red mercury"
With it, one could make bombs of any yield, bombs small enough to fit in ones pocket, and have no worry of fallout.
Magnetic Confinement
This is currently the most popular form of fusion, having been researched for the past 50 years. Magnetic confinement schemes use huge toroidal (doughnut-shaped) chambers, surrounded by electromagnetic coils to trap and confine a plasma
Inertial Confinement (ICF)
This form of confinement involves compressing pellets of fusion fuel to ultrahigh densities using converging laser or particle beams. The beams impinge upon the pellet, ablating material on the surface, thus creating an inward implosive force. The fusion fuel burns, creating a high energy pulse of neutrons and charged particles
Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC)
This is a relatively small scale method of doing fusion developed by television pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth many years ago. It uses electrostatic fields and potentials to accelerate and collide ions of fusion fuel in a spherical geometry. An IEC device is quite easy to make, and can even be done by a determined individual for roughly $1000. It is unlikely that an IEC device will break even unless some drastic and novel design changes are made. At the present time, they are useful for demonstrating the concept of fusion, and as a low-cost neutron source for materials identification
Cold Fusion (LENR)
Cold Fusion, or "Low Energy Nuclear Reactions" (LENR) has been the subject of much controversy over the past few years. While there are many "types" of cold fusion experiments out there, the best known one involves running electricity through Deuterium Oxide (Heavy Water) in a process known as electrolysis. Using a Palladium cathode in the electrolysis system, one can expect to "bury" large amounts of Deuterium in the crystal structure of the cathode. Some believe that this can lead to exothermic fusion-like reactions.
FUSION IS NOT SPECIAL OR IMPOSSIBLE TO DO! You do not need a $200 million machine to do fusion. Accelerating high energy atoms of deuterium at one another to make fusion reactions is child's play. What's impossible is producing electricity from fusion reactions. I cannot do it, you cannot do it, the people with the $200 million machines cannot do it. The point of this page is to make a big deal out of how fusion really isn't a big deal.
THIS IS NOT COLD FUSION! This is very hot fusion, requiring energies in excess of 20keV!
There are some 10 ways to ingnite such a fusion ball besides the atomic bomb which is the only way the audience is generally aware of. Half of these could be useful in weapons applications. I just mention antimatter, nano-enchanced multi-stage compression explosives and "red mercury" (a secret Soviet-era invention to create a very high ignition temperature). Here Mercury refers to the red-hot planet, not to the element.
www.saunalahti.fi...
What do I need? How much does it cost?
These are some of the most frequently asked questions by newbies to the field of IEC fusion. Quite frankly, there is no definitive answer to either of them. What you need depends upon several factors, and the cost depends upon what you can get on the surplus market, what you already have, and how much you are willing to spend.
An experienced amateur scientist, with good scrounging skills, can probably spend under $200, depending on what equipment he or she already has. An inexperienced newbie, who wants fusion RIGHT NOW, can spend $8000 or more, and then realize that he could have saved a lot of money in retrospect. Most people fall somewhere in between these two extremes.
To make a fusor, you really only need a few things:
A vacuum chamber; preferably made of stainless steel for Fusion models, Pyrex is OK for non-fusion devices.
A vacuum pump capable of reaching pressures of 10-3 Torr (1 micron Hg) or deeper. A 2-stage mechanical pump is usually good enough. Lower pressures require oil diffusion or turbomolecular pumps in addition to a mechanical pump.
A high voltage power supply; this must be a direct current, negatively biased (i.e. positive grounded) power supply. For fusion models, this supply should be rated at 20,000 volts (minimum) and 20 milliamps. A surplus x-ray transformer, with the proper DC rectification, is typically the best option. For non-fusion demo models, you can use a neon sign transformer. If you have the cash, Glassman High Voltage sells amazing power supplies that are perfect for fusor work. I found one on ebay for a tenth of the normal price.
Deuterium gas; This gas is fairly easy to get in small 50 liter lecture bottles for about $250. It has no special regulations and is non-radioactive. You will need a regulator to go with the bottle in order to lower the pressure from 1500psi to about 2psi. *Tritium* is not obtainable by the amateur. Tritium requires a site license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with facilities more secure than most private homes. The Farnsworth team had to submit to weekly medical exams because of its radioactivity. Don't even think about trying to get Tritium. It is dangerous and illegal for the amateur.
A neutron counter; this is how you quantify your fusion results. A brand new, el cheapo neutron counter costs about $2000. Until recently, fusioneers had to wait around on ebay until a neutron counter rolled by. Now, there is a new technology out there know as a "Bubble Neutron Dosimeter." These are small tubes filled with a certain liquid, sensitive only to fast neutrons from fusion. They cost about $100 and have a shelf life of about a year.
Here is an abbreviated parts list of my Fusor, with approximate prices (For a full parts list, go here):
Vacuum pump........................................................................$75 on ebay
20,000 Volt, 50mA power supply...........................................$300 on ebay
Stainless Steel Chamber...........................................................$600 total
Neutron Detector.....................................................................$150 on ebay
50L of Deuterium Fuel..............................................................$245 from Advanced Specialty Gases
Various vacuum components and other peripherals.....................$????
Total.......................................................................................~$1500-1800
As you can see, it isn't exactly cheap. But you should realize that these parts were acquired over a period of 18 months, and only after researching as to their necessity in the project. It's the little things like valves and fittings that eat out your wallet. High vacuum equipment is also high precision equipment, making it fairly expensive.
Originally posted by fmcanarney
however on the blast question. because when a hydrogen bomb is detonated underground it causes a vault that does not breach the surface of the ground. That is if it is deep enough.
However underneath a building or say at the bottom of a main elevator shaft the blast will create a crater. there are several of these craters at the WTC location.
The EMP and overpressure and blast characteristics are greatly reduced in an underground explosion. Plus the elevator shafts and the central core columns would assist in focusing the disintegration cone straight upwards.
Plus if it is placed inside a cone of berryllium, which i understand will focus and direct the energy even more substantially.
does anyone know the yield of a suitcase nuke?
Thermal 104 meters
3rd deg flash burn
Blast 162 meters
4.6psi blast force
Radiation 350 meters
Lethal 500 rem dosage
y= yield (in tons) /2500
Thermal y ^0.41*1000
Blast = y^0.33*1000
Radiation = y^0.19*1000
damage radius in meters
But what about the neutron release? Granted, the neutrons themselves don't last long at all, and so wouldn't be detected. But the irradiated materials that they interact with WOULD be detectable, right?
Following the nuclear accident at Tokai, Ibaraki in 1999, physicists Masuchika Kohno and Yoshinobu Koizumi showed how this coin could be used to estimate neutron dosage to the surrounding population, by measuring its zinc isotope ratios. They write:
The Japanese 5-yen coin is about 22 millimeters in diameter and 1.5 mm thick, weighs 3.75 grams and has a central hole 5 mm wide. We chose this coin for monitoring neutron exposure because it is widely circulated, the zinc content is precisely controlled, and the 65Zn generated has a convenient half-life (244.1 days) and gamma ray energy emission (1,115.5 keV). To obtain a record of the dosage of neutrons released as a result of the accident, we collected exposed coins from people's houses at distances 100–550 m from the facility.[1]
They concluded that the coin could offer information about the total neutron effect during the accident, and about shielding by modern Japanese houses, given that the coins were recovered from indoors.
Originally posted by BASSPLYR
Richard Marcinko had said that the latest SADM that he got to know about was about 40ish pounds and were intended to blow out massive highway interchanges and bridges. Said that it looked like a stack of weights on one end and a 18 inch or so baseball bat thick stem that lead to the firing device which was attached to the other half of the stem.
Declassified August 1958: "Mere fact that the U. S. has developed atomic
munitions suitable for use in
demolition work." Declassified January 1967, "The fact that we are interested in and are
continuing studies on a weapon for minimizing the emerging flux of neutrons and internal
induced activity." Declassified March 1976, "The fact of weapon laboratory interest in
Minimum Residual Radiation (MRR) devices. The fact of successful development of MRR
devices."
The factual evidence indicates that our government is using and has used 3rd or possibly 4th generation hydrogen bombs domestically and internationally. The evidence for international usage is not quite as strong as the domestic usage, but when domestic usage is considered, the international usage seems inescapable. The process of exclusion
based on the known facts leaves only one viable option for the destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) buildings - a relatively pure hydrogen bomb.
click for full size 1
Prior to the demolition of the WTC buildings, the largest imploded building, Hudson's Department Store was 2.2 million square feet with 33 levels and required 2,728 lbs of explosive. The WTC buildings were significantly stronger than the Hudson's building, but it is doubtful more than a 0.01 kt bomb would be needed for the 47 center columns designed to hold many times the weight of the buildings.
This program produced (partial list) the following information for a regular 0.01 kt yields, air ignition: Fireball max light radius = 25.4 meters, Max time light pulse width = 0.011 seconds, Max fireball airburst radius = 10.6 meters, Time of max temperature = 0.0032 seconds, Area of rad. exposure = 0.12 sq. miles; Blastwave Effects: Overpressure = 5 lb/sq. inch (160 mph) radius = 0.09 km, 1 lb/sq. inch radius = 0.26 km; Underground ignition: Crater diameter = 56 feet with a Richter magnitude of 3.52. Thermal radiation damage range is significantly reduced by clouds, smoke or other obscuring materials. Surface detonations are known to decrease thermal radiation by half. A neutron bomb produces much less blast and thermal energy than a fission bomb of the same yield by expending its energy by the increase in the production of neutrons. Even the older neutron bombs produce very little long term fallout, but made considerable induced radiation in ground detonations. The half life of induced radiation is very short and is measured in days rather than years.
Originally posted by Seymour Butz
I've been reading up a little. It looks like the blast effects from the fusion is all you're saying was needed? And forget the neutrons then, right?
the neutrons did all of the damage the blast was contained in the bathtub
But what about the neutron release? Granted, the neutrons themselves don't last long at all, and so wouldn't be detected. But the irradiated materials that they interact with WOULD be detectable, right?
see analysis below
What are your thoughts about this - a nuke's blast is directed, in order to "vaporize" the core columns. So according to this theory, the nuke blast can't affect the concrete in the floors. So to account for that, all the floors are rigged with explosives. Why complicate things?
Why would it be necessary to "vaporize" the core columns at all? If you're gonna demo it, a few cutter charges would be more likely to succeed.
cutter charges could not explain molten steel three months after 911
Why would you bury the nuke, thus decreasing its blast effects? Since they can be made to any output level, why not just make it the correct size for an aboveground blast? Why build a bigger than necessary bomb, just to bury it?
How do you know that the elevator shafts would focus the blast effects?
[any blast force will take the path of least resistance in my common sense reasoning. It sure is refreshing to have an intelligent discussion with someone about this.
/b]
The neutrons heated the metal up. Hence molten steel under rubble piles for more than three months.
Here is an analysis of a sample of steel from WTC
Clue: The natural balance of elements at the WTC samples has changed into heavier isotopes. Some nuclear force has been able to inject neutrons into the nucleus of various elements present at the WTC area. See the table below.
List of Elements in the USGS analysis of WTC debris that should show readily detectable
Neutron Activation:
Element Isotopes, Isotope Percentages in Nature, Mean Percantage in USGS analysis:
Silicon - 28 Si 92.23%, 29 Si 4.67%, 15%
Carbon - 12 C 98.9%, 13 C 1.1% stable, 2%
Sulfur - 32 S 95.02%, 33 S 0.075%, 3%
Iron - 56 Fe 91.72%, 57 Fe 2.2%, 58 Fe 0.28%, 1.63%
Nickel - 58 Ni 68.08%, 59 Ni 1/2 life 7600 years, 60 Ni 26.22%, 61 Ni 1.14%, 37 ppm
Niobium - 93 Nb 100%, 94 Nb 1/2 life 20,000 years, 8.3 ppm
Beryllium - 9 Be 100%, 10 Be 1/2 life 1.5 mil years, only 3 ppm
Potassium - 39 K 93.256%, 40 K only plant animal, 1/2%
Titanium - 48 Ti 73.8%, 49 Ti 5.5%, 0.25%
Chromium - 52 Cr 83.79%, 53 Cr 9.5%, 116 ppm
Cobalt - 59 Co 100% , 60 Co 1/2 life 5 years, only 6ppm
For an example, Iron is expected to have the Fe(58) isotope, which contains two additional neutrons, 0.28% naturally, but somehow there was 1.63% of these heavier, but still stable iron isotopes in the WTC sample.
In response to this myriad of disease, a statement of environmental mercury has been claimed. That claim is not verified in testing of air and particle debris samples by private citizens and organizations. It is possible the mercury quotes are from the federal source of science, the United States Geological Survey's analysis of the WTC dust debris. The USGS's leached analysis did show mercury at the 3rd lowest concentration of metals at the mean value (mv) of 0.011 parts per Billion (ppB). The most abundant element concentration in the leaching tests was Strontium at 1,000 ppB (1 ppM) - 100,000 times more than the mercury value. It appears that the leaching of the sample was only partial and inadequate as the reader will see from the spectrometry values.
Why would only mercury be quoted when there were so many other more dangerous elements at higher concentrations than mercury? While the regular elements like Copper - mv 136 ppM, Silver - mv 1.66 ppM, and Vanadium - mv 31 ppM, some of the other significant elements were: Barium - mv 533 ppM, Strontium - mv 727 ppM, Cerium - mv 91 ppM, Yttrium - mv 57 ppM, Lanthanum - mv 46 ppM, Molybdenum - mv 11 ppM, Thorium - mv 9 ppM, Uranium - mv 3 ppM, Beryllium - mv 3 ppM, and Cesium - mv 0.6 ppM - partial listing. For readers that are not familiar with most of these elements, here is a link to their relevance.
[edit on 30-8-2008 by fmcanarney]
Originally posted by fmcanarney
the neutrons heat up the steel and boil it.
The millions of degree heat enters the concrete and causes the water to vaporize and expand to twenty or more times its own volume. Sure we are talking about water trapped in the concrete.
The neutrons do this and they heat the steel to about 7,000 degrees and it is a few thousand degrees above its boiling point so it vaporizes, sublimates and ablates, on its fall to the ground, leaving vapor trails of microscopic atom sized metal.
They would not allow geiger counters at the site for three days.
Also the detrium and titrium are only around for two to three days,
Plus washing everything with water also hides the neutron presence.