Curium-244 alpha-sources for space research

Radchenko, V.M.; Andreichikov, B. M.; Wänke, H.; Gavrilov, V.D.; Korchuganov, B. N.; Rieder, R.; Ryabinin, M. A.; Economou, T.

doi:10.1016/s0969-8043(00)00260-8

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…1 A thermal reductive layer could also be used to achieve more precise thermionic emission current densities. 1 Tables 1 7 and 2 [8][9][10] give the characteristics of the selected radioisotopes, their shielding requirements and emission current densities.…”

Section: Radioisotopementioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Kabila rocket: A radioisotope heated thermionic plasma rocket engine

Mboyi

Ren

Liu

2015

Chinese Journal of Aeronautics

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A new type of plasma rocket engine, the Kabila rocket, using a radioisotope heated thermionic heating chamber instead of a conventional combustion chamber or catalyst bed is introduced and it achieves specific impulses similar to the ones of conventional solid and bipropellant rockets. Curium-244 is chosen as a radioisotope heat source and a thermal reductive layer is also used to obtain precise thermionic emissions. The self-sufficiency principle is applied by simultaneously heating up the emitting material with the radioisotope decay heat and by powering the different valves of the plasma rocket engine with the same radioisotope decay heat using a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. This rocket engine is then benchmarked against a 1 N hydrazine thruster configuration operated on one of the Pleiades-HR-1 constellation spacecraft. A maximal specific impulse and power saving of respectively 529 s and 32% are achieved with helium as propellant. Its advantages are its power saving capability, high specific impulses and simultaneous ease of storage and restart. It can however be extremely voluminous and potentially hazardous. The Kabila rocket is found to bring great benefits to the existing spacecraft and further research should optimize its geometric characteristics and investigate the physical principals of its operation.

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Section: Radioisotopementioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Kabila rocket: A radioisotope heated thermionic plasma rocket engine

Mboyi

Ren

Liu

2015

Chinese Journal of Aeronautics

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“…Earlier, the 244 Cm was readily available in the US from the Livermore National Laboratory, but presently it is available only from the State Scientific Centre Research Institute of Atomic Reactors Dimitrovgrad, Russia. [21] There, the sources are prepared by high temperature condensation of metal curium vapor onto silicon substrates. For source production, the initial fraction of 244 Cm content was about 93%.…”

Section: Cm-244 Alpha Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of curium, however, the metal becomes chemically unstable and the sources deteriorate rapidly. More recent work [21] concentrated on the formation of curium silicides on the surface of semiconductor grade silicon. This technology has yielded the best results so far and sources for the current or future APXS instruments will be produced by this technique.…”

Section: Cm-244 Alpha Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

History of Applications of Radioactive Sources in Analytical Instruments for Planetary Exploration

Economou¹

2011

Radioisotopes - Applications in Physical Sciences

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“…Finally, space research continues to be one of the most exotic applications of PXRF and, in this sphere, a special 244 Cm source was prepared by Radchenko et al 191 to perform chemical analyses of the Mars atmosphere and surface rocks by alpha backscattering, alpha-proton excitation and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Details of the design and fabrication of this source were presented.…”

Section: Portable and Mobile Xrfmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atomic Spectrometry Update. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Potts

Ellis

Kregsamer³

et al. 2001

J. Anal. At. Spectrom.

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Reviews 2 Instrumentation 2.1 General instrumentation and excitation sources 2.2 Detectors 3 Spectrum evaluation, matrix correction and calibration procedures 3.1 Spectrum evaluation 3.2 Matrix correction and calibration procedures 4 X-ray optics 5 Synchrotron radiation 6 Total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) 7 Portable and mobile XRF 8 On-line XRF 9 Applications 9.1 Sample preparation 9.2 Preconcentration techniques 9.3 Geological 9.4 Environmental 9.5 Archaeological and forensic 9.6 Industrial 9.7 Clinical and biological 9.8 Thin films 9.9 Chemical state analysis and speciationThis annual review of X-ray fluorescence covers developments over the period 2000-2001 in instrumentation and detectors, matrix correction and spectrum analysis software, X-ray optics and microfluorescence, synchrotron XRF, TXRF, portable XRF and on-line applications as assessed from the published literature. The review also covers a survey of applications, including sample preparation, geological, environmental, archaeological, forensic, biological, clinical, thin films, chemical state and speciation studies. During the current review period, publications have demonstrated the development of sub-100 nm X-ray beams for SR microprobe analysis together with the wider use of WD spectrometers in this application. There is evidence of an extension of the application of XRF as a reference technique, with XRF increasingly being used in modern laboratories in place of older wet-chemical methods, and computer-modelling studies continue to be popular in extending the understanding of various XRF phenomena. Some interesting work has been undertaken in the measurement of radiative Auger effects using high-resolution WDXRF instruments. However, the potential for future developments in XRF is illustrated by research into ultra-high resolution microcalorimeter detector devices, which are still at the experimental stage and have not yet progressed to the status of useful practical devices.

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Curium-244 alpha-sources for space research

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Development of Kabila rocket: A radioisotope heated thermionic plasma rocket engine

Development of Kabila rocket: A radioisotope heated thermionic plasma rocket engine

History of Applications of Radioactive Sources in Analytical Instruments for Planetary Exploration

Atomic Spectrometry Update. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

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