Quantum nucleonic reactor
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HafniumMetalUSGOV.jpg
HafniumMetalUSGOV.jpg
Could hafnium (pictured) one day power an aerial vehicle?
A quantum nucleonic reactor exposes a fuel to x-rays for the purpose of producing gamma rays. The reactor's optimum fuel is the hafnium-172 metastable nuclear isomer.
Potential uses
Proposals have been made to test a quantum nucleonic reactor on a modified RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV. Tests would involve using a quantum nucleonic reactor to fire gamma rays into a heat exchanger, producing exhaust gasses similar to those produced by a jet engine. If the proposed idea is successful, it will extend the endurance of the Global Hawk from its already record-setting time of 42 hours to a theoretically infinite time.
External links
- "Essential Fundamentals of Quantum Nucleonics" (http://www.utdallas.edu/research/quantum/Tutorial.htm), a paper by C. B. Collins of the Center for Quantum Electronics, University of Texas at Dallas
References
- "Atomic Powered Global Hawk Jet Reving For Take-Off?" (http://www.sciscoop.com/story/2004/6/22/10046/8452), a SciScoop weblog entry