METHOD FOR PRODUCING NEUTRONS AND GAMMA-QUANTA Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear power engineering; production of neutrons and gamma-quanta under pulse-period conditions at room temperatures. SUBSTANCE: specimen of transition or rare-earth metal and/or alloy on their base is saturated with deuterium and subjected to mechanical or thermal treatment to create structural heterogeneity in metal or alloy. Specimen treated in this way is subjected to pulse effect accompanied by passage of shock wave whose amplitude is higher than 25 GPa and relative change in metal volume does not exceed 30% at shock-compressed metal temperature of up to 3000 K. Pulse effect may be afforded mechanically or electrically using laser radiation. Mechanical treatment is made by metal rolling and thermal treatment, by its annealing and/or hardening. EFFECT: improved yield of neutrons and gamma-quanta up to level of practical interest. 3 cl