Neutron bombs

[beansbaxter]

How does the neutron bomb kill people or living things, but doesn't destroy buildings?

 

[Bremen]

Google is your friend

 

[silverpig]

The neutron bomb is designed to produce a lot of neutron radiation. This burns living flesh and messes up cellular structure and DNA pretty badly. Hence dead people. The neutrons don't exert a lot of pressure so buildings stay up, provided they aren't right close to the blast zone.

 

[Description]

Is there any way to make a neutron emitter at home?

 

[RussianSoldier]

popular mechanics showed me how to make a devestating emp bomb for under $600

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Description
Is there any way to make a neutron emitter at home?

better watch it, I'm sure the alien mind lasers pick up on those sorts of thoughts 😉

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Description
Is there any way to make a neutron emitter at home?

Actually there is. Smoke detectors have a small piece of Americium in them...

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: Description
Is there any way to make a neutron emitter at home?

Actually there is. Smoke detectors have a small piece of Americium in them...

yeah, there was that kid who was trying to build his own nuclear reactor...it was on the news a while back.

Smoke detectors and old glow-in-the-dark watches...

 

[MechxWarrior]

That kid is a frikkin genious. I still cant believe he blew 1k on lithium batteries alone though....

 

[Description]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: Description
Is there any way to make a neutron emitter at home?

Actually there is. Smoke detectors have a small piece of Americium in them...

So how many of those would I need before I have a respectable doomsday device? :roll:

Is there any way to produce neutrons electronically?

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Description

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: Description
Is there any way to make a neutron emitter at home?

Actually there is. Smoke detectors have a small piece of Americium in them...

So how many of those would I need before I have a respectable doomsday device? :roll:

Is there any way to produce neutrons electronically?

Nope.

 

[Mark R]

Originally posted by: Description

Is there any way to produce neutrons electronically?

You could build a particle accelerator (probably has to be a cyclotron rather than a linear accelerator) and use it to accelerate protons onto a target (usually tungsten). The protons cause neutrons to spallate (smash) off the target.

The radio-isotope method is probably easier and more effective for home constructors 🙂

 

[Apologiliac]

Originally posted by: beansbaxter
Is there any way to make a neutron emitter at home?

Let me ask you this first, do you have any ties to al Qaeda!

 

[Geniere]

Many years ago, I was involved in the design of clinical linear accelerators. I had no physics involvement, but with machines having energies exceeding 15MV, the treatment rooms required neutron shielding. The linear accelerating wave-guide was about 6-feet long, pulsed at about 5 mega-watts (4.5 KVA average). Electrons were accelerated and caused to strike a steel alloy target to produce the photon beam. Shielding was done in the treatment room with cement, lead, and Lucite (I think) added when neutron production was possible in sufficient intensity. The higher the energy, the greater the Lucite shielding needed, so it seems the neutron capture cross-section includes energy as one parameter.