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Godzilla is helping ITER prepare for tokamak assembly
ITER employees stand by Godzilla, the most powerful commercially available industrial robot available. (Photo: ITER)
Many people are familiar with Godzilla as a giant reptilian monster that emerged from the sea off the coast of Japan, the product of radioactive contamination. These days, there is a new Godzilla, but it has a positive—and entirely fact-based—association with nuclear energy. This one has emerged inside the Tokamak Assembly Preparation Building of ITER in southern France.
R. A. Lewis, R. Newton, G. A. Smith, R. J. Kanzleiter
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 109 | Number 4 | December 1991 | Pages 411-415
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE91-A23866
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The concept of microfission, whereby a small target of fissile material is burned under compression, was introduced nearly 20 years ago; the size of the target is limited by the magnitude of the compression and by the initial number of fissions that start the chain reaction. A burst of antiprotons at maximum compression can allow target size to be significantly reduced. Antiprotons were previously shown to be a strong source of neutrons and pions; under conditions of high density, they enable a significant reduction in burn time and, hence, target size. Possible applications are discussed, including space propulsion and intense neutron and X-ray sources.