Live demonstration: Femto-to-macro scale interdisciplinary sensing with tensioned metastable fluid detectors

Monitoring Neutron Radiation in Extreme Gamma/X-Ray Radiation Fields

“…Briefly, tensioned fluids are in state of metastability; their intermolecular bonds are weakened such that select stimuli types can "poke" holes into them to create transient bubbles that can rapidly (within µs) grow to states that are visible-audible to humans-depicted graphically in Figure 4. Amazingly, conventionally hard to detect sub-atomic neutral particles such as neutrons or ions (tell-tale signatures from U/Pu nuclear fission) can be now detected with unparalleled intrinsic efficiency [12] and spectroscopy even in ultra-low extreme radiation fields (per evidence presented later in this paper). Stimuli types may also include ordinary UV-IR photons.…”

“…Two distinct forms of hand portable, table-top systems: C (Centrifugal)-TMFDs and Acoustic (A)-TMFD hand-portable systems, weighing ≈2-3 kg, have been developed for high efficiency spectroscopic neutron-alpha-fission detection and are depicted schematically in Figure 5. Figure 6 demonstrates high efficiency fission spectrum neutron detection (≈100% of theoretical maximum) intrinsic efficiency which has been found to be ≈75 times higher (per unit volume) than for conventional systems, such as 12 kg, moderated BF3 detectors [11,12]. Shown (inset) are comparisons of neutron detection efficiency for TMFDs against the common state-of-art thermal and fast neutron detectors, including superheated drop detectors (SDDs).…”

“…As noted therein, the perdetector volume-based efficiency of the TMFD can be 1000 times greater than that for SDDs and over 10-100 times higher than other detectors-besides offering the ability to decipher directionality, spectroscopy [13,15], and in gamma blindness even in extreme radiation fields (discussed in Section 3). Figure 6 demonstrates high efficiency fission spectrum neutron detection (≈100% of theoretical maximum) intrinsic efficiency which has been found to be ≈75 times higher (per unit volume) than for conventional systems, such as 12 kg, moderated BF 3 detectors [11,12]. Shown (inset) are comparisons of neutron detection efficiency for TMFDs against the common state-of-art thermal and fast neutron detectors, including superheated drop detectors (SDDs).…”

“…Although not widely known, fluids, like solids, can sustain tension (i.e., the intermolecular bonds holding the molecules together can be "stretched" and weakened). Ordinary fluids, such as water, at room temperature can indeed be stretched (i.e., tensioned) to include negative (P neg ) pressures (yes-even below perfect vacuum), as scientifically confirmed only a few decades ago, leading to the novel TMFD sensor class [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Briefly, tensioned fluids are in state of metastability; their intermolecular bonds are weakened such that select stimuli types can "poke" holes into them to create transient bubbles that can rapidly (within µs) grow to states that are visible-audible to humans-depicted graphically in Figure 4.…”