How to build a gamma shield I have suggested to Ed Storms that it may be productive for the LENR theorist to become familiar with the tools available in the conceptual toolbox wielded by the journeymen nano-optician as follows:
“I think you’re discounting the field of nano-photonics which provides a body of theory, a conceptual tool box, and an extensive experimentation inventory which precisely covers the condition you are interested in. You might be well served in looking into this field of physics for insight.” At Ed’s suggestion, I am pleased to provide an example demonstrating the application of this nano-technology in principle to the many conditions encountered in LENR and explain how it can be applied to these many behaviors. I have just run into a good example that may elucidate the point behind this post. As a pleasant diversion, I had been reading the “Laboratory Directed Research and Development Annual Progress Report - Los Alamos National Laboratory” www.lanl.gov/science-innovation/_assets/FY11-Annual-Report.pdf On page 120 of this voluminous document, I ran across an interesting article on “Ultrafast Cathodoluminescence for Improved Gamma-Ray Scintillators” This got me interested in the nano-properties of Cadmium selenide (CdSe). This chemical is a solid, binary compound of cadmium and selenium. Most of the usefulness of CdSe stems from nanoparticles that are particles with sizes below 100 nm. CdSe particles of this size exhibit a property known as quantum confinement. Quantum confinement results when the electrons in a material are confined to a very small volume. Quantum confinement is size dependent, meaning the properties of CdSe nanoparticles are tunable based on their size. Since CdSe nanoparticles have a size dependent fluorescence spectrum, they are finding applications in optical devices such as laser diodes. Using these particles, engineers are able to manufacture laser diodes that cover a large part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The quantum confinement effect can be observed once the diameter of the particle is of the same magnitude as the wavelength of the electron wave function. When materials are this small, their electronic and optical properties deviate substantially from those of bulk materials. A particle behaves as if it were free when the confining dimension is large compared to the wavelength of the particle. During this state, the bandgap remains at its original energy due to a continuous energy state. However, as the confining dimension decreases and reaches a certain limit, typically in nanoscale, the energy spectrum turns to discrete. As a result, the bandgap becomes size dependent. This ultimately results in a blue shift in optical illumination as the size of the particles decreases. Specifically, the effect describes the phenomenon resulting from electrons and electron holes being squeezed into a dimension that approaches a critical quantum measurement, called the exciton Bohr radius. In current application, a quantum dot such as a small sphere confines in three dimensions, a quantum wire confines in two dimensions, and a quantum well confines only in one dimension. These are also known as zero-, one- and two-dimensional potential wells, respectively. In these cases they refer to the number of dimensions in which a confined particle can act as a free carrier. The bottom line is that the nano-optician can convert energetic EMF like gamma rays into heat by sizing nano-particles appropriately. In systems like the Papp engine we may want to convert electrons into x-rays. This is being done in the aforementioned article using a core and shell cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide core/ shell nanocrystals. Papp used sulfur and red phosphorous to do some rudimentary EMF conversions from electrons to x-rays. But today, these advanced nano-particles can be enclosed by a light z electrode material like aluminum as Joe Papp once did. As a nano-engineer, one can convert gamma rays into heat as in the Rossi reactor type. Or one can convert electrons into x-rays as in the Papp engine. This EMF frequency conversion shifting can be routinely done today by anyone willing to learn how to do it; no Nobel prizes required. Cheers: Axil
