China aspires to build the world's strongest neutron beam

Chinese scientists have started the world's strongest neutron beam using nuclear fusion technology for civilian purposes as well as developing military weapons.

According to South China Morning Post, the high-intensity DT thermonuclear neutron transmitter (Hineg) at the Institute of Physical Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province in eastern China, produced more. one trillion neutrons per second during the test run on January 9.

Neutron source is an important part of modern nuclear weapons because it is the trigger that activates the fusion reaction chain in a nuclear warhead.(Photo: giaoduc.net.vn).

A group of leading physicists, Professor Wu Yican, shot deuterium , a stable isotope of hydrogen, into a beer made of tritium, another radioactive isotope of hydrogen. These two isotopes when combined to form helium, simultaneously radiate a neutron with great kinetic energy. As the fusion process continues, scientists will obtain a stable beam of high-energy neutrons.

Neutron generators are an important part of modern nuclear weapons. It produces a beam of neutrons to activate a chain of fission or fusion reactions in a nuclear warhead. An advanced neutron transmitter can significantly reduce the size and weight of conventional nuclear weapons.

The design of Hineg source was built in Hefei, China.(Photo: CAS).

In addition, the neutron generator itself can also be used as a dangerous weapon. Neutron bombs create strong neutron beams that can destroy life in a radius of many kilometers without damaging buildings and tanks. That's because accelerated neutrons can destroy organic cells but pass through many inorganic materials. Neutron bombs produce little radioactive dust, which is not harmful to the environment for a long time afterwards.

According to Chinese scientists, powerful neutron generators in Hefei mainly serve civilian purposes. Professor Wu said the neutron generator will be used to test the decay of special metals, used for future nuclear fusion reactors.

In addition, neutron Hineg transmitters are also used to simulate harsh environments inside fusion reactors. This application helps scientists find alloys that can withstand the bombardment of high energy neutrons when the fusion reactor operates.

The fusion chamber of the Hineg source produces one trillion neutrons per second during the first test run on January 9, 2016.(Photo: CAS).

With this successful test, scientists plan to increase the output of the Hineg generator by 100 times in the next few years, making it the most powerful neutron generator in the world.

However, the research team still has to overcome some technical barriers. One of the biggest challenges is how to cool Tritium beer, which often has very high temperatures when fired on by deuterium beams.

Li Yuan, a physics professor at Peking University, an expert on neutrons, said China is still behind Western countries in neutron transmitter technology."Many experiments require strong neutron sources to be carried out overseas due to moderate experimental conditions in China," Li said. "Successful testing with Hineg is an important step to help China narrow the gap with other countries like the US in the coming years."