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edpell
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Can we breed protactinium from thorium by hitting it with accelerated He ions?
If one induces an (alpha, p) reaction, then one could produce Pa. However, it would be much easier to produce Pa with neutron capture in Th-232, which becomes Th-233, which decays to Pa-233, which decays to U-233, which is fissile.edpell said:Can we breed protactinium from thorium by hitting it with accelerated He ions?
The purpose of accelerating He ions onto Thorium is to initiate a nuclear reaction that produces useful energy. This process is known as nuclear fusion and is a potential source of clean and sustainable energy.
The He ions are accelerated using a particle accelerator, which uses electric fields to increase the speed of the particles. The accelerated He ions are then directed towards the Thorium target using magnetic fields.
Thorium is a naturally occurring element that is more abundant and easier to obtain than other nuclear fuels such as uranium. It also produces less radioactive waste and has a lower risk of nuclear accidents.
While the use of Thorium as a nuclear fuel has many benefits, there are also some potential risks to consider. The process of accelerating He ions onto Thorium must be carefully controlled to avoid potential radiation leaks or accidents. Additionally, the waste produced from this process may still be radioactive and require proper disposal.
While research and development into using Thorium as a nuclear fuel is ongoing, it is not currently a widely used source of energy production. However, many scientists and experts believe that with further advancements, it could become a viable and sustainable source of energy in the future.