Proton Accelerator: A DIY Adventure with Magnetic Fields, Ions, and Explosions

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on a DIY proton accelerator project constructed using magnets and a homemade proton generator that ionizes hydrogen in a light bulb. An advanced electrician involved in the project tapped into residential power, leading to significant energy usage. The project resulted in air distortion due to magnetic fields and culminated in a dangerous incident where a rod shot through a garage wall and the magnets exploded, attributed to oxidation in the air. The narrative includes a humorous anecdote about seeking advice from Bill Nye.

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  • Understanding of basic electromagnetic principles
  • Knowledge of ionization processes, specifically hydrogen ionization
  • Familiarity with DIY electronics and safety precautions
  • Basic concepts of gas behavior under magnetic fields
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  • Research electromagnetic field theory and its applications
  • Study ionization techniques and their safety implications
  • Explore the principles of gas dynamics in magnetic fields
  • Learn about the construction and safety measures for high-energy DIY projects
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Amateur physicists, DIY electronics enthusiasts, safety engineers, and anyone interested in experimental physics and magnetic field applications.

lamonster
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my room mate's dating this guy that told me a pretty interesting story recently. him and a few of his buddies got together and made a proton accelerator out of some bitter magnets in a night. he made a "proton generator" out of ionizing hydrogen in a light bulb. one of them is an advanced electrician and tapped his residential block for power, how much they used? he never said. apparently when they turned it on it caused the air inside to distort kinda like heat waves. now I am guessing here, but i think what was happening is the ions in the air were being pushed around the mag field. anyways before they did anything cool he mentioned he had a 6th grade teacher who married bill nye, so he called her up, asked for some advice and she replied "here just talk to my husband". last thing i remember is him telling me they stuck a 2ft rod of everthread between the magnets and it shot through the garage wall, they found it 800ft down the way... after a few more seconds the magnets exploded. sad. apparently bill said they caused oxidation, making the air explode. (thats a fractured memory, don't take that as doctrine)

just thought I'd share
 
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