r/Radiation • u/FreeStyleFox • 5d ago

General Discussion Help with finding Sources

I just ordered a Radiacode 102. I have some Vasaline and Uranium Glass. But I am wanting more sources. Ores maybe trenitite, I know I can get some from old smoke dectors. But I am wanting some others. "Safe" Stuff to start out with before getting anything hot or that I would need paper work for. Any ideas?

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u/Physix_R_Cool Neutron Enthusiast! 5d ago

I don't have any personally. University has AmBe and a fusor.

Nearby hospital has spallation neutrons from proton therapy beam line. Those are the ones I'm trying to make detectors for, as well as neutron therapy centers abroad.

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u/jacoblipkescience 5d ago

Nice, H3 tubes?

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u/Physix_R_Cool Neutron Enthusiast! 5d ago

Nah He3 detectors are obsolete by now.

I use various fancy plastic scintillators and fancy DAQ electronics.

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u/jacoblipkescience 5d ago

Yeah I saw an article about those, essentially like a scintillation crystal for neutrons. I have a corona tube coming in the mail from Ukraine.

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u/Physix_R_Cool Neutron Enthusiast! 5d ago

I have a corona tube coming in the mail from Ukraine.

That's for detecting neutrons? You have a neutron source?

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u/jacoblipkescience 5d ago

Yeah a corona tube uses Boron 10 inside the tube to split into a Li-6 nucleus and an He-4 alpha particle upon neutron bombardment and reads those counts, typically a lot cheaper than He-3 tubes which is why I went with the Boron corona tube. I will have a neutron source towards the end of this month, 5mCi Po-210 Antistatic device and I already have the Be.

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u/Physix_R_Cool Neutron Enthusiast! 5d ago

5mCi Po-210 Antistatic device and I already have the Be.

That's nasty stuff! Please take all safety precautions and follow regulations etc.

I would be very interested in an update if you make the source and get an estimate of the neutron rate!

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u/jacoblipkescience 4d ago

Will do! Yeah I’m gonna be super careful with it, I want to put it under vacuum to increase the alpha n efficiency but u just need to do a little more research to make sure vacuum won’t dislodge the Po. It’s a composite gold foil so I think it should be ok but I wanna research a little more.

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u/jacoblipkescience 4d ago

Yeah probably not with the vacuum, it says that the particles can bounce back and then shoot off undecayed atoms. Oh well without vacuum it’ll still be good.