Robert G. Brown wrote: > On Wed, 12 Mar 2003, Troy Dawson wrote: > > > >>I have to say that the thing I was most excited to see, but had the greatest >>letdown was the device we use to strip the proton from the neutron. I worked >>here for about 4 years before I was able to see it. It was in all my training >>manuals, and it an vital part of the accelorator here. And I finolly got to >>see it. But ... I won't let the secret out. nope ... not me.... ;) > > > "Strip the proton from the neutron"? > > As in turn e.g. deuterons into proton+neutron beams and peel the protons > and unstripped deuterons off to the side with a magnetic field, or bang > protons into something else that gives off neutrons? > > Give away THAT secret to America's Enemies and I'm certain that you'll > be subjected to a gruelling interrogation under the influence of strange > drugs. > > Hmmm, sounds like so much fun that I'll give it a shot instead...;-) > > It has been a long time (24 or 25 years) since I messed around at all > with nuclear physics and neutron beams, but isn't that an itty-bitty bit > of foil, sort of like what one might find wrapped around a piece of gum? > > rgb > Hmm ... sorta. First we start with hydrogen, and strip the electrons off with a flash of electricity. So we have a core with just a proton and an neutron. And send that off the accelorator. But then we have to get the neutron off because when you get it going really fast, that's just too much mass sitting there. But your guess is actually a sorta close. And I think if it was a gum wrapper, I would have been just as disapointed. Troy -- __________________________________________________ Troy Dawson dawson@xxxxxxxx (630)840-6468 Fermilab ComputingDivision/OSS CSI Group __________________________________________________
