ESA to fund its own RTG studies? |
ESA to fund its own RTG studies? |
Feb 15 2010, 08:33 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
according to Flight International UK could use plutonium in space nuclear power demonstration
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Feb 7 2012, 05:32 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 540 Joined: 17-November 05 From: Oklahoma Member No.: 557 |
Plutonium 238 can be produced in usable purity in two different ways. Separate out neptunium 237 from spent reactor fuel. Place this in a reactor to expose it to neutrons. The Np-237 atoms that capture a neutron will either fission or form Np-238. Np-238 will decay to Pu-238 in short order. There will always be a little bit of Pu-239 contamination from double neutron capture. This is the standard process.
You can also make it from exposing americium 241 to neutrons, producing Am-242, which beta decays to Curium 242, then alpha decays to Pu-238. This method requires a high flux of neutrons. |
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