Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site pur-phy.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!CS-Mordred!Pucc-H:Physics:clt From: clt@pur-phy.UUCP (Carrick Talmadge) Newsgroups: net.followup,net.politics Subject: Re: alternate, hopefully safe, energy sources Message-ID: <1390@pur-phy.UUCP> Date: Sun, 5-Aug-84 18:37:43 EDT Article-I.D.: pur-phy.1390 Posted: Sun Aug 5 18:37:43 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 6-Aug-84 07:01:09 EDT References: <798@ihuxx.UUCP> <9368@gatech.UUCP> <1009@ihuxi.UUCP> Organization: Purdue University Physics Dept. Lines: 39 >While fusion is somewhat cleaner than fission, it is by no means free >from waste. The primary result of a hydrogen fusion reaction is >helium, which is only mildly radioactive. As far as I know, the only two radioactive isotopes of helium are Helium 5 (10**-21 sec lifetime), and Helium 6 (.86 sec lifetime), neither of which are produced in measureable quantities in any reaction chain being proposed at the moment. Your main danger would really be from contaminants in the initial hydrogen "fuel". >However, another bi-product >of the reaction is very high energy neutrons. After several years in a >reactor being bombarded by the neutrins, the reactor containment walls >become extrememly radioactive. A few points here. First, (if I recall correctly), you get surplus high energy neutrons only in the tritium (Hydrogen 3) reactions, but not in the deuterium reactions. (And yes, they are working on deuterium based reactors, as well as tritium based reactors). Secondly, the reactor containment walls will become highly radioactive only if improper choice of materials for the walls are made. As material technology progresses, we may well be able to develop materials which require a much higher energy to become activated, thus minimizing the danger of activated containment walls. Finally, even in a "worst case" scenario, where the wallsdo become highly radioactive, I still don't see nearly the threat to the environment and human life that fossil fuel plants possess, via acid rain, SO2 production, etc... Carrick Talmadge Purdue University Physics Dept. West Lafayette, IN 47907 UUCP: {decvax,ucbvax,harpo,allegra,inuxc,seismo,teklabs}!pur-ee!Physics:clt INTERNET: clt @ pur-phy.UUCP