P+11B reaction question

Robthebob · Post by **Robthebob** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 1:11 pm

The reaction result that yields 3 helium atoms, arent those just alpha particles?

sorry, had it answered. Thanks.

TallDave · Post by **TallDave** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:01 pm

imaginatium · Post by **imaginatium** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:13 pm

Has p-B11 fusion ever been successfully done, or is it still completely theoretical?

93143 · Post by **93143** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:26 pm

It isn't all that tough; all you have to do is fire a proton beam at a boron-11 target. Here's an example:

http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/0370-1298 ... i9p745.pdf

The reason everyone says it's so difficult is that they're thinking of configurations designed to produce net power. If you don't care about net power, pretty much any fusion reaction is easy to do.

imaginatium · Post by **imaginatium** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:36 pm

93143 wrote:It isn't all that tough; all you have to do is fire a proton beam at a boron-11 target. Here's an example:

http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/0370-1298 ... i9p745.pdf

The reason everyone says it's so difficult is that they're thinking of configurations designed to produce net power. If you don't care about net power, pretty much any fusion reaction is easy to do.

Let me be more specific. Has p-B11 fueled IEC fusion ever been done.

93143 · Post by **93143** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:12 pm

I doubt it. As far as I know, Farnsworth and Hirsch never worked with the stuff, and it's a bit steep for a hobby fusor, although people have discussed it. I don't know for sure. Anyone else?

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:40 pm

imaginatium wrote:Has p-B11 fueled IEC fusion ever been done.

No PB-11 fusion has ever occurred, period.

93143 · Post by **93143** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:17 am

I just tried that paper I linked to on my home computer, and I can't access it because I'm not subscribed. This problem is likely not unique to me. So let me clarify.

It's a paper from 1952 describing the angular spread of alpha emissions resulting from bombardment of boron-11 with a proton beam. The reaction described is exactly what we call p-11B fusion: p+11B -> alpha+8Be, with the 8Be then fissioning into two more alphas. This reaction was apparently one of the earliest nuclear reactions studied.

Roger, I'm not sure what you're on about...

TallDave · Post by **TallDave** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:21 am

It's been done, as 93143 says. It has not been done in a fusor afaik. It will be very hard to do in a net power setup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneutronic ... t_research

In 2005, a Russian team produced hydrogen-boron aneutronic fusions using a picosecond laser.[24]

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:40 am

My bad, I was relying on someone else......... ah never mind.

Well then thats sort of good news.

chrismb · Post by **chrismb** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 1:37 pm

The paper in my post;

viewtopic.php?p=13981&highlight=picosecond#13981

might address some of these questions.