Chinese specialists have assembled a compact device capable of launching a controlled nuclear reaction outside the laboratory. They have created a small device the size of a regular fire extinguisher that shoots a directed stream of neutrons. Such a thing could be useful in diagnostics, monitoring the technical condition of structures, science, and also in the military sphere, although they do not directly declare its combat use.
The main element of the design is a small capsule with hydrogen and lithium. To make them react, the device creates a powerful electrical discharge, which initiates the process inside the chamber. To do this, the mechanical part hits special plates, which convert the impact into an electrical impulse. As a result, a miniature reactor is launched, where the substance is heated, converted into plasma and compressed into a sphere by an electromagnetic field. Inside this area, the particles accelerate and collide with the lithium surface.
It is at this point that hydrogen and lithium fuse to form new atoms like boron or beryllium. This releases energy in the form of a beam of neutrons, tiny particles that have no charge, allowing them to pass freely through many materials. The flow created by the device is so powerful that it can be compared to the emission from a nuclear explosion, but without the destruction and radioactive background.
Neutron beams are easy to use as a kind of flashlight: they “shine through” metal, concrete, containers and living tissue. Thanks to this, hidden defects in aircraft parts and reinforced concrete structures are detected in time. The device also examines the contents of cargo and gets to tumors deep in the body. Another possible area is the detection of explosives.
Whereas previously massive installations were needed to obtain neutrons, now everything fits into a portable unit powered by a 10-watt power source. Startup takes a split second, and the device is reactivated without long interruptions. Neither rare fuel nor bulky cooling elements are used. The gun operates on the basis of common substances — hydrogen and lithium — and provides a high energy output with minimal costs.
The development was carried out at a research center in northwestern China. Defense-related enterprises participated in the project. The researchers emphasize that the technology does not require complex preparation and can be used in a variety of areas. The device can replace a whole set of equipment, making nuclear methods applicable in the field, in production, or in emergency situations.
We previously wrote about a simulation of the merger of neutron stars to form a black hole, which was made possible by a supercomputer.