Single circuits generate nuclear reactions

[hartiberlin]

Hi Feyman,
normally you use a big diode to catch
Beta radiation in the conduction band gaps.

So try to use an old solarcell
or diodes made by dissimular metals.

Try the Saltwater durafix-alloy-graphite cells.

Maybe one could just pulse the outer graphite shell
and collect inside in the durafix alloy  rod the electrons...

Here is an updated picture of the setup.

[Koen1]

Yes indeed Stefan, using a diode type element
could allow for fairly good collection of more of the beta particles.
Or, like you say, dissimilar metals. But still similar idea.
Thanks for bringing that one up.

I was actually pondering photomultipliers...
Thinking along the lines that we could use the beta radiation
to knock secondary electrons off and thus increase voltage
while decreasing the particle speed significantly...
Haven't worked it out yet and I keep getting phonecalls so
I need to put my pondering on hold every couple of minutes...
... sure isn't the most effective way to get some good thinking done,
I can tell you that!

[hartiberlin]

Well, I remember, that Walter Hofmann once told me,
that his Voltmeter played havoc, when he pulsed one of his
graphite -Zamak ( durafix)-alloy saltwater cells
with High voltage pulses...

I never tried it myself, but maybe he had a few magnets lying around there
and had the same effect as this one...

I have to ask him again,
if he could repeat the experiment with 2 stacked magnets
on it.

As Beta decay can be captured in PN-layers,
we could just put the graphite in series with the Zamak and thus
get a safe beta radiation battery.

Finally a material you just hit with some high voltage pulses
and it puts out more energy.

The dream has coming true !

Great exploration.

[aleks]

Yes, Cherenkov light is purple-ish, but only generated when gamma collides with glass etc... Are you perhaps confusing the two?

Well, to my knowledge electrostatic discharge in a rarefied air produces purple glow. So, I guess purple glow is to be expected at high beta intensities, because it is about ozonation, not about something extra happening. Almost any considerable energy emission will cause purple glow in air (oxygen turns into ozone).

[broli]

If I interpret this correctly, even with the current lacky method of using the electrons as charge you guys observed COP > 1 ?