From: ABlainey@aol.com
Date: Thu Feb 20 2003 - 12:04:10 MST
> > The AFRL now has other ideas, though. Instead of a conventional fission
> > reactor, it is focusing on a type of power generator called a quantum
> > nucleonic reactor. This obtains energy by using X-rays to encourage
> > particles in the nuclei of radioactive hafnium-178 to jump down several
> > energy levels, liberating energy in the form of gamma rays. A nuclear
> > UAV would generate thrust by using the energy of these gamma rays to
> > produce a jet of heated air.
As Hafnium-178 isn't listed as a radioisotope of hafnium, I am wondering what
the end product of the reaction would be? Hafnium isotopes usually decay
into Tantalum and Lutetium (Both highly toxic, Ta is also carcinogenic).
Would the product of this 'man made' decay yield Lu, Ta or some other isotope
of Hafnium? Or would it revert to Hafnium-178?
Alex
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