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Goal: I want to have a small consistent source of neutrons, gamma radiation, as a tool for the radiation detection projects I'm working on. I have done this several times, with very low success, or perhaps results not measurable with poor mans tools. But! There is a chance that a very small adjustment in what I was doing could net me more neutrons (that was fun to type)
Big blocks of tungsten-steel, These are Legos for MEN! Drop one on your foot and it *WILL* break.
Quick overview of what I'm doing: I want neutrons. When an Alpha particle (two protons bound up with two neutrons) hits certain materials it can liberate straight neutrons from that matter. What I am using for this here are far from the best substances for the process, but they are the ones most accessible to me.
Simply: Americium 241 from smoke detectors is put up against aluminum foil inside a lead focusing block which then emits neutrons through a pinhole into paraffin wax, which has a high hydrocarbon content and slows the neutrons down, "thermalizing" them aka making them "useful". When they go too fast they just zip right through stuff without interacting with it.
That's it! The mistake I may have had previously was simply not having the aluminum pushed right up against the alpha source. So, that's what I am trying differently here.
Lead is really pretty and mirror reflective when it is freshly cut. And then of course, lasers make everything cooler.
Making a pathway in tungsten the right width to do this in. It works as shielding for me, but I'm working with such mildly energetic materials that the main benefit here is its a good particle reflector for the experiment itself. But I must admit that the ritual of always making sure I'm well shielded makes the whole thing feel more sort of bad-ass!
Putting the paraffin in the little channel and getting ready for the Americium isotope.
I am proud of my little isotope delivery tool, or "pusher". A total "whats at hand" hack that fulfills the goals of a $1000+ tool one can buy. I used a wine cork (a simple Chard is fine), the body of a pen, flattened lead fishing weights, hot melt glue & Am-241 pellets from smoke detectors.
You will note that I now have a glove on the hand I am handling some stuff with. There is no danger in anything except ingesting the stuff, but I don't want to get dust on my fingers and then pick up a cracker with that hand before washing it or anything. So, I play it safe, and again - it kind of makes it more fun!
Then I put aluminum foil over the Americium, pushing it right up against the thin little Am-241 plating on those pellets. Which is the one real variable between this and previous times I have done this experiment. Then put that into the lead particle guide I made (chunk of lead I bought online . . . shipping is expensive for lead!).
And, that's it so far! Initial quick measurements appear to show above background neutron production happening, but its going to take me a couple of days to really have a good picture of whats going on. Fun!
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