Team Confirms UCLA Tabletop Fusion

An anonymous reader writes "A team of New York physicists has confirmed that a tabletop contraption made at UCLA does in fact generate nuclear fusion at room temperatures, using pairs of crystals and a small tank of deuterium. But unlike less reliable reports back in the 1980s, there's no talk this time of producing endless supplies of power. Rather, the technology could lead to ultra-portable x-ray machines and even a wearable device that could provide safe, continuous cancer treatment."

Comments

Key Application Overlooked

[TripMaster Monkey]

From TFA:

Rather, the most immediate application may come in the form of a battery-operated, portable neutron generator. Such a device could be used to detect explosives or to scan luggage at airports, and it could also be an important tool for a wide range of laboratory experiments.

I'm surprised that the article didn't go into more depth on the explosives detection angle, as a neutron generator is an excellent method for detecting fissionable material, and I'm sure the folks over at Homeland Security would like a better way to guard against nuclear devices being smuggled into our country.

For more info on neutron generators and their possible application in fissionable materials detection, please look here (PDF warning).

Re:Key Application Overlooked

[onkelonkel]

I always thought the easiest way to smuggle in a nuke would be to bring it in through Miami hidden in a bale of cocaine.

Tabletop fusion

[Bit_Squeezer]

Crystals and holy water?

Better than two

[DigitlDud]

"Our device uses two crystals instead of one, which doubles the acceleration potential," says Jeffrey Geuther

Yeah well, now I'm going to use three!

What?

[Odin_Tiger]

"application may come in the form of a battery-operated, portable neutron generator"

Wait, what? We finally got cold fusion, but 'batteries not included'?

Incredible (and im not talking about the article)

[MrTester]

Its amazingly clear that not only have few of you RTFA, most have not even gotten past the title before you threw out a post.

Its a whole 4 sentences which make it clear that this is NOT a power source, and half the posts are talking about its potential as a power source.

Now if I could just find a way to bottle the power of human stupidity...

200,000 Electron Volts

[sarlos]

But can it crank out 1.21 gigawatts?

Get the paper here

[Anonymous Coward]

The paper.

Re:This sounds oddly familiar

[rossifer]

The difficulty with small scale fusion isn't making it happen. That's been done many, many times. The difficulty with small scale fusion (and all fusion) is making it produce power (more power extracted from the reaction than put into the reaction).

That's where Pons and Fleishman got hosed. They claimed a 300% power surplus without experimental verification. This announcement is different from that for several reasons.

1) These guys are specifically not claiming excess power.
2) They're claiming to have lots of high-energy neutrons.
3) This is actually the announcement of a second group of scientists repeating the experiment and successfully verifying the results of the first group.

In short, this announcement is nothing like the cold fusion debacle of the late '80s.

Regards,
Ross

Re:Incredible (and im not talking about the articl

[acacia]

Bottle the power of human stupidity? Sorry, you are too late. Look no further than the Vatican, Al Qaeda, or any other religions institution. Superstition, fear of death, and the promise of eternal life are all their tools, and with proper respect of their un-verifiable claims (faith), lack of reason, and willingness to submit you too can be their servant.

Re:A whole 2% are opened

[HUADPE]

I think the point was that you don't even need to get to the inspections point...just blow it up while it's still on the ship. Accuracate placement is not a high priority with fission bombs.