Boron Ion Battery: Exploiting Neutrons

[S = k log w]

Boron ion battery??

If B[11] reacts with a neutron, it yields one atom of C[12] and one atom of N. The Earth is constantly being bombarded by neutrons. Could a battery be developed to exploit the neutrons?

 

[chroot]

Are you proposing that 11 + 1 = 19?

- Warren

 

[S = k log w]

Good point. What happens in a nuclear reaction? B[11] + one neutron
does yields C[12] + N

If that is true, then why wouldn't it be possible for B[11] plus neutrons to be utilized as a type of battery or other device?

 

[chroot]

Originally posted by S = k log w
Good point. What happens in a nuclear reaction? B[11] + one neutron
does yields C[12] + N

Do you have a reference? This is impossible.

- Warren

 

[dr.ununquadium]

The Earth is constantly being bombarded by Neutrinos not Neutrons. Unless you mean Celestial Atoms.

 

[chroot]

I should ask more explicitly... what do you mean by N? I assumed you meant Nitrogen-14.

- Warren

 

[S = k log w]

Thank you. I had erred when I had stated that the Earth was being bombarded by Neutrons.

 

[birdus]

Originally posted by S = k log w
Thank you. I had erred when I had stated that the Earth was being bombarded by Neutrons.

The Earth's upper atmosphere is being bombarded by neutrons. The following is a quote from a textbook: "High energy cosmic particles particles[this includes protons and nuetrons] shatter the nuclei of oxygen and nitrogen atoms there releasing neutrons which in turn produce C[14] when they collide with other nitrogin atoms."
The C[14] produced is absorbed by plants and animals. When they die they stop absorbing C[14]. The C[14] decays to C[12] over time. Later, some know-it-all physicist measures the ratio of C[12] to C[14] and determines how long ago the thing died. This is of course based on the assumption that C[14] production in the upper atmosphere has been constant. Unfortunately, we now know that it hasn't been.

 

[S = k log w]

Originally posted by birdus
The Earth's upper atmosphere is being bombarded by neutrons. The following is a quote from a textbook: "High energy cosmic particles particles[this includes protons and nuetrons] shatter the nuclei of oxygen and nitrogen atoms there releasing neutrons which in turn produce C[14] when they collide with other nitrogin atoms."
The C[14] produced is absorbed by plants and animals. When they die they stop absorbing C[14]. The C[14] decays to C[12] over time. Later, some know-it-all physicist measures the ratio of C[12] to C[14] and determines how long ago the thing died. This is of course based on the assumption that C[14] production in the upper atmosphere has been constant. Unfortunately, we now know that it hasn't been.

Could this be used to make a neutron engine? Also, is it possible that if we do not detect both carbon and nitrogen that it may be so that, assuming that there were neutrons (or proton-proton collisions)
that we may not be carbon based life? I suppose that someone will claim that we are string based life, and perhaps 'string threads', and ...

 

[Chemicalsuperfreak]

Originally posted by birdus
The Earth's upper atmosphere is being bombarded by neutrons. The following is a quote from a textbook: "High energy cosmic particles particles[this includes protons and nuetrons] shatter the nuclei of oxygen and nitrogen atoms there releasing neutrons which in turn produce C[14] when they collide with other nitrogin atoms."
The C[14] produced is absorbed by plants and animals. When they die they stop absorbing C[14]. The C[14] decays to C[12] over time. Later, some know-it-all physicist measures the ratio of C[12] to C[14] and determines how long ago the thing died. This is of course based on the assumption that C[14] production in the upper atmosphere has been constant. Unfortunately, we now know that it hasn't been.

What are you talking about? It's been shown that the amount of C14 produced in the atmosphere has been constant at least as long as Carbon dating is good for.

 

[birdus]

Originally posted by Chemicalsuperfreak
What are you talking about? It's been shown that the amount of C14 produced in the atmosphere has been constant at least as long as Carbon dating is good for.

Data from ocean floor sediments, icecores, and such as proven that the C[14] production has not been constant. Extentensive research on tree rings has been going on over the last decade or two to develope correction charts. When I took physical anthropology we were required to do some homework problems to determine the C[14] age of something. To arrive at the solution we had to use a correction chart. The chart showed wide swings in the C[14] over the centuries.
Most of my anthropology professors expressed their doubts about the accuracy of C[14] dating. They prefer to use more conventional means of dating such as potsherds and sediment layers, etc.