Novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source
By irradiating titanium sheets with laser light in argon gas to generate neutrons, the problem of low neutron generation efficiency in the prior art is solved, and an efficient and stable neutron source is achieved, which is suitable for in-depth applications in multiple fields.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411600592.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-14
AI Technical Summary
The neutron production efficiency in the prior art makes neutron sources unsuitable for the production of isotopes, nuclear materials, and other high-demand fields.
A new argon-titanium laser controlled neutron source, including lasers, reaction vessels, titanium sheets, argon and solid particle size detectors, uses laser irradiation of titanium sheets to generate neutrons in argon, and uses solid particle size detection. The device detects the number of neutrons.
It significantly improves the efficiency of neutron production, improves the strength and stability of neutron sources, and makes its application more extensive and in-depth in the fields of medical care, engineering materials research, and nuclear astrophysics.
Smart Images
Figure CN119446619A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to the field of nuclear reactor equipment, and in particular to a novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source. Background Art
[0002] "Neutron source" refers to a device that can release neutrons. In the early days, scientists could only use radioisotope neutron sources to conduct experiments. Later, they developed low-energy particle accelerators to generate charged particle beams to bombard targets and produce neutrons through nuclear reactions. Later, they developed into reactor neutron sources and spallation neutron sources.
[0003] The equipment scale, neutron energy and flux of different types of neutron sources vary greatly, but these devices are powerful tools with different applications in physics, engineering, medicine, nuclear weapons, oil exploration, biology, chemistry, nuclear power and industry, and each has its own advantages.
[0004] Radioisotope Neutron Sources:
[0005] This type of neutron source mixes elements that can spontaneously emit alpha rays with target materials. The target material can emit a neutron by absorbing an alpha ray particle, and neutrons are produced through this reaction. Its advantage is that the neutron source is very small and convenient to use, but its disadvantages are also obvious. The intensity of this neutron source cannot be too high, that is, the neutron injection rate is very low. At the same time, this type of neutron source is usually limited by its life span, and its source strength gradually decays over time. These defects affect and limit its use.
[0006] Low Energy Particle Accelerators:
[0007] In the 20th century, the main tool used for neutron nuclear physics research was to bombard the target with charged particle beams produced by low-energy particle accelerators (energy less than 108eV) to produce neutrons through nuclear reactions. Its characteristics are single energy and good pulse performance, which is very important for precise nuclear physics experiments. The disadvantage is that the neutron injection is relatively low, the neutron production efficiency is low, and it is not very economical. For example, using a 400keV deuterium reaction to produce neutrons consumes 104MeV of energy for each neutron produced. Therefore, low-energy accelerator neutron sources are not suitable for the production of isotopes and nuclear materials. Neutrons produced by low-energy particle accelerators have single energy and good pulse performance, but low neutron production efficiency.
[0008] At present, there is no economical, simple-structured, high-yield neutron source. Summary of the invention
[0009] In view of this, the object of the present invention is to provide a novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source to solve the problem of low neutron generation efficiency in the prior art.
[0010] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source is provided, comprising:
[0011] Laser, reaction vessel, titanium sheet, argon gas, solid particle size detector, vacuum pump;
[0012] The titanium sheet is placed inside the reaction container which is filled with argon gas after the gas is evacuated by the vacuum pump;
[0013] The solid particle size detector is placed against the wall on one side of the reaction container which is filled with argon gas after the gas is evacuated by the vacuum pump;
[0014] The laser is connected to the reaction container, and is used to irradiate the titanium sheet in the reaction container with a laser;
[0015] The solid particle size detector is used to detect the number of charged particles and neutrons per unit area on a titanium sheet in a reaction container filled with argon.
[0016] Furthermore, the laser comprises:
[0017] 445 nanometer wavelength blue laser.
[0018] Furthermore, the laser further comprises:
[0019] The output spot diameter is about 1 mm and the output power is 7 watts.
[0020] Furthermore, the solid particle size detector comprises:
[0021] CR39 solid particle size detector.
[0022] Furthermore, the solid particle size detector further includes:
[0023] The solid particle size detector is fixedly connected to the reaction container via a spring.
[0024] Furthermore, the titanium sheet has a thickness of 0.1 mm and a diameter of 20 mm.
[0025] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present invention may have the following beneficial effects:
[0026] It is understandable that the technical solution provided by the present invention includes: a laser, a reaction vessel, a titanium sheet, argon, a solid particle size detector, and a vacuum pump; the titanium sheet is placed inside the reaction vessel filled with argon after the vacuum pump evacuates the gas; the solid particle size detector is placed on the wall of one side of the reaction vessel filled with argon after the vacuum pump evacuates the gas; the laser is connected to the reaction vessel, and the laser is used to irradiate the titanium sheet in the reaction vessel with a laser; the solid particle size detector is used to detect the number of charged particles and neutrons per unit area on the titanium sheet in the reaction vessel filled with argon. It is understandable that the technical solution provided by the present invention helps to improve the efficiency of neutron generation, and the entire device has a simple and compact structure and low cost. Its application in multiple fields such as medical treatment, engineering material research and nuclear astrophysics can significantly improve the treatment effect, the accuracy of material detection and the depth of astrophysical research. Specifically, in the medical field, neutrons have a variety of applications in the medical field, among which fast neutron radiation therapy and californium-252 neutron knife therapy are two main methods. Fast neutron radiation therapy uses neutron beams to effectively kill cancer cells, improve local cancer control rates, and prolong patient survival. Californium-252 neutron knife therapy uses the unique advantages of neutron rays on hypoxic cells in malignant tumors to reduce recurrence rates while minimizing damage to normal tissues. In addition, boron neutron capture therapy uses neutron beams to irradiate by injecting boron compounds that are easily absorbed by cancer cells, further enhancing the therapeutic effect.
[0027] Application in engineering materials research: Neutrons are non-charged, have strong penetrating power and are sensitive to light elements, making them suitable for non-destructive testing of engineering materials and components. The high penetrating power of neutrons enables them to detect local crystal structure information several centimeters deep in structural components, making them suitable for reliability evaluation of key components and heterogeneous and heterogeneous damage detection in functional structures. In addition, neutron technology also has the advantages of rich contrast mechanisms, high-penetration non-destructive imaging, the ability to equip a variety of sample environments, and quantitative analysis.
[0028] Application in nuclear astrophysics research: Neutrons also have important applications in astrophysics research. For example, by studying important neutron source reactions inside stars, such as the 13C(α,n)16O reaction, we can help understand the origin and abundance of super-iron elements in the universe. The Jinping Deep Earth Nuclear Astrophysics Experiment Team in China has provided the most accurate reaction rate data for this reaction through direct measurement, which is of great significance for astrophysics research.
[0029] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the composition of a novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a reaction container of a novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source device according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0033] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a titanium sheet of a novel argon-titanium laser controlled neutron source device according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0034] Figure 4 is a laser schematic diagram of a novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source device according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a CR39 solid particle size detector of a novel argon-titanium laser controlled neutron source device according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0036] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the position of a solid particle size detector of a novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source device in a container according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0037] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of charged particle imprint of a CR39 solid particle size detector after irradiation etching according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0038] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a neutron imprint of a CR39 solid particle size detector after irradiation etching according to an exemplary embodiment;
[0039] Fig. 9 It is a numerical diagram of neutrons and charged particles in 10 containers. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present invention as detailed in the appended claims.
[0041] Embodiment 1
[0042] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 The figure is a schematic diagram of a novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source according to an exemplary embodiment, comprising:
[0043] Laser 1, reaction container 2, titanium sheet 3, argon gas 4, solid particle size detector 5, vacuum pump 6;
[0044] The titanium sheet 3 is placed inside the reaction container 2 which is filled with the argon gas 4 after the gas is evacuated by the vacuum pump 6;
[0045] The solid particle size detector 5 is placed against the wall on one side of the reaction container 2 which is filled with the argon gas 4 after the gas is evacuated by the vacuum pump 6;
[0046] The laser 1 is connected to the reaction container 2, and the laser 1 is used to irradiate the titanium sheet 3 in the reaction container 2 with a laser;
[0047] The solid particle size detector 5 is used to detect the number of charged particles and neutrons per unit area on the titanium sheet 3 in the reaction container 2 filled with argon gas 4.
[0048] In one embodiment, the technical solution provided by the present invention helps to improve the efficiency of neutron generation. Its application in multiple fields such as medicine, engineering material research, and nuclear astrophysics can significantly improve treatment effects, the accuracy of material detection, and the depth of astrophysical research.
[0049] In the specific implementation, the experiment used a low-power laser to irradiate a titanium metal sheet in argon 4 and used a CR39 detector to detect neutron radiation. The number of neutrons produced in the argon 4 experiment was significantly higher than the number of neutrons produced in hydrogen under the same experimental conditions.
[0050] In a specific implementation, the titanium sheet 3 has a thickness of 0.1 mm and a diameter of 20 mm. After being cleaned with alcohol, it is placed in a container and irradiated with laser for one month in argon 4. The titanium sheet (titanium sheet 3) without laser irradiation and the titanium sheet after irradiation can be seen with obvious light spots, such as Figure 3 shown.
[0051] Put the titanum sheet and CR39 solid particle size detector 5 into the container and fix them, assemble the container with the laser 1, connect the cooling water, argon gas 4, and vacuum pump 6, assemble it into a laboratory bench, and then you can carry out the gas metal laser experiment.
[0052] In a further specific implementation, the laser 1 includes: a blue laser 1 with a wavelength of 445 nanometers, an output light spot diameter of about 1 millimeter, and an output power of 7 watts.
[0053] Furthermore, the solid particle size detector 5 includes: a CR39 solid particle size detector 5, and the solid particle size detector 5 is fixedly connected to the reaction container 2 through a spring.
[0054] In the specific implementation, CR39 uses a solid particle size detector 5 produced in Japan. The CR39 detector can only sense fast neutrons above 100KEV when directly measuring neutrons. This experiment only measures fast neutrons, and thermal neutrons are not measured in this experiment. After irradiation and calibration by the Chinese Academy of Metrology using an americium-beryllium neutron source, the neutron capture cross section of the CR39 used in this experiment is 1 / 2800, that is, 2800 neutrons can form a mark on the CR39 detector. The cross section of the CR39 solid particle size detector 5 is 100% for vertically incident charged particles.
[0055] For details, please refer to Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 , place the CR39 sheet directly into the container, stick it to the wall, fix it with a spring, and keep the CR39 10mm away from the light spot.
[0056] Furthermore, the experiment was carried out for 10 days, filled with argon 4, and irradiated with laser. After completion, the CR39 was taken out and the etching count was performed to calculate the number of charged particles and neutrons per unit area.
[0057] Specifically, CR39 was etched using 6.25 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution at 85°C for 3 hours, static etching without stirring, and deionized water stirring and cleaning for 10 minutes. Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 7 This is the charged particle imprint of the CR39 solid particle detector 5 after irradiation etching. Figure 8 This is the neutron imprint of the CR39 solid particle size detector 5 after irradiation etching.
[0058] In the specific implementation, 10 reaction containers 2 are selected and numbered 1-10, please refer to Table 1. The operating conditions of the containers numbered 1-7 are: laser, hydrogen (that is, the argon 4 in the above reaction device is replaced with hydrogen), the operating conditions of the container numbered 8 are: laser, argon 4; the operating conditions of the container numbered 9 are: no laser, hydrogen, and the reaction is carried out according to the above steps. After that, CR39 is used to measure fast neutrons, and the relevant experimental data obtained are shown in Table 1.
[0059] Table 1
[0060]
[0061]
[0062] Combined with Table 1 and Fig. 9According to the above measurement results, the laser irradiation point in hydrogen atmosphere can emit about 100 neutrons per second, and the laser irradiation point in argon 4 atmosphere can emit about 350 neutrons per second. The detection position is measured at a distance of 10mm from the laser point.
[0063] The above detection results confirm that laser irradiation on titanium metal in argon 4 produces fast neutrons, the number of which is 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than the background, and the number of neutrons produced in argon 4 is more than three times the number of neutrons produced in hydrogen.
[0064] It is understandable that the technical solution provided by the present invention includes: a laser 1, a reaction vessel 2, a titanium sheet 3, argon gas 4, a solid particle size detector 5, and a vacuum pump 6; the titanium sheet 3 is placed inside the reaction vessel 2 filled with the argon gas 4 after the vacuum pump 6 evacuates the gas; the solid particle size detector 5 is placed on the wall of one side of the reaction vessel 2 filled with the argon gas 4 after the vacuum pump 6 evacuates the gas; the laser 1 is connected to the reaction vessel 2, and the laser 1 is used to irradiate the titanium sheet 3 in the reaction vessel 2 with a laser; the solid particle size detector 5 is used to detect the number of charged particles and neutrons per unit area on the titanium sheet 3 in the reaction vessel 2 filled with argon gas 4. It is understandable that the technical solution provided by the present invention is helpful to improve the efficiency of neutron generation, and its application in multiple fields such as medical treatment, engineering material research, and nuclear astrophysics can significantly improve the treatment effect, the accuracy of material detection, and the depth of astrophysical research. Specifically, in the medical field: Neutrons have many applications in the medical field, of which fast neutron radiation therapy and californium-252 neutron knife therapy are two main methods. Fast neutron radiation therapy uses neutron beams to effectively kill cancer cells, improve the local control rate of cancer, and prolong the patient's survival. Californium-252 neutron knife therapy uses the unique advantages of neutron rays on hypoxic cells in malignant tumors to reduce the recurrence rate while minimizing damage to normal tissues. In addition, boron neutron capture therapy uses neutron beams to irradiate by injecting boron compounds that are easily absorbed by cancer cells to further enhance the treatment effect.
[0065] Application in engineering materials research: Neutrons are non-charged, have strong penetrating power and are sensitive to light elements, making them suitable for non-destructive testing of engineering materials and components. The high penetrating power of neutrons enables them to detect local crystal structure information several centimeters deep in structural components, making them suitable for reliability evaluation of key components and heterogeneous and heterogeneous damage detection in functional structures. In addition, neutron technology also has the advantages of rich contrast mechanisms, high-penetration non-destructive imaging, the ability to equip a variety of sample environments, and quantitative analysis.
[0066] Application in nuclear astrophysics research: Neutrons also have important applications in astrophysics research. For example, by studying important neutron source reactions inside stars, such as the 13C(α,n)16O reaction, we can help understand the origin and abundance of super-iron elements in the universe. The Jinping Deep Earth Nuclear Astrophysics Experiment Team in China has provided the most accurate reaction rate data for this reaction through direct measurement, which is of great significance for astrophysics research.
[0067] It can be understood that the same or similar parts of the above embodiments can be referenced to each other, and the contents not described in detail in some embodiments can refer to the same or similar contents in other embodiments.
[0068] It should be noted that, in the description of the present invention, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "plurality" refers to at least two.
[0069] Any process or method description in a flowchart or otherwise described herein may be understood to represent a module, segment or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for implementing the steps of a specific logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the present invention includes alternative implementations in which functions may not be performed in the order shown or discussed, including performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in the reverse order depending on the functions involved, which should be understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of the present invention belong.
[0070] It should be understood that the various parts of the present invention can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware or a combination thereof. In the above-mentioned embodiments, a plurality of steps or methods can be implemented by software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented by hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented by any one of the following technologies known in the art or their combination: a discrete logic circuit having a logic gate circuit for implementing a logic function for a data signal, a dedicated integrated circuit having a suitable combination of logic gate circuits, a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.
[0071] A person skilled in the art may understand that all or part of the steps in the method for implementing the above-mentioned embodiment may be completed by instructing related hardware through a program, and the program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed, includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiment.
[0072] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into a processing module, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one module. The above-mentioned integrated module may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented in the form of a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.
[0073] The storage medium mentioned above can be a read-only memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.
[0074] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.
[0075] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A new type of argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source, characterized in that: The novel argon-titanium laser controllable neutron source comprises: Laser, reaction vessel, titanium sheet, argon gas, solid particle size detector, vacuum pump; The titanium sheet is placed inside the reaction container which is filled with argon gas after the gas is evacuated by the vacuum pump; The solid particle size detector is placed against the wall on one side of the reaction container which is filled with argon gas after the gas is evacuated by the vacuum pump; The laser is connected to the reaction container, and is used to irradiate the titanium sheet in the reaction container with a laser; The solid particle size detector is used to detect the number of charged particles and neutrons per unit area on a titanium sheet in a reaction container filled with argon.
2. A novel argon-titanium laser controlled neutron source according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser comprises: 445 nanometer wavelength blue laser.
3. A novel argon-titanium laser controlled neutron source according to claim 2, characterized in that: The laser further comprises: The output spot diameter is about 1 mm and the output power is 7 watts.
4. The novel argon-titanium laser controlled neutron source according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solid particle size detector comprises: CR39 solid particle size detector.
5. The novel argon-titanium laser controlled neutron source according to claim 4, characterized in that: The solid particle size detector further comprises: The solid particle size detector is fixedly connected to the reaction container via a spring.
6. The novel argon-titanium laser controlled neutron source according to claim 1, characterized in that: The titanium sheet has a thickness of 0.1 mm and a diameter of 20 mm.