Special treatment reduces helium permeation of glass in vacuum systems

Internal surfaces of the glass component of a vacuum system are exposed to cesium in gaseous form to reduce helium permeation. The cesium gas is derived from decomposition of cesium nitrate through heating. Several minutes of exposure of the internal surfaces of the glass vessel are sufficient to complete the treatment

Bypass rod transfers heat developed in thermionic diode

In a thermionic diode, a cesium tube joining the emitter-collector area and the cesium reservoir is fitted with a copper bypass rod held in place by two standoff brackets. The rod transfers heat from the emitter-collector to the reservoir without going through the ceramic seal structure which surrounds the cesium tube and cannot sustain large temperature gradients

Effects of liquid and vapor cesium on structural materials

Literature survey on corrosive effects of liquid and vapor cesium on structural materials, and compatibility of cesium as working fluid for Rankine cycle space power plan

Ionizing mechanisms in a cesium plasma irradiated with a ruby laser

A cesium filled diode--laser plasmadynamic converter was built to investigate the feasibility of converting laser energy to electrical energy at large power levels. Experiments were performed with a pulsed ruby laser to determine the quantity of electrons and cesium ions generated per pulse of laser beam and to determine the output voltage. A current density as high as 200 amp/sq cm from a spot of approximately 1 sq mm area and an open circuit voltage as high as 1.5 volts were recorded. A qualitative theory was developed to explain these results. In the operation of the device, the laser beam evaporates some of the cesium and ionizes the cesium gas. A dense cesium plasma is formed to absorb further the laser energy. Results suggest that the simultaneous absorption of two ruby laser photons by the cesium atoms plays an important role in the initial ionization of cesium. Inverse bremsstrahlung absorption appears to be the dominant mechanism in subsequent processes. Recombinations of electrons and cesium ions appear to compete favorably with the simultaneous absorption of two photons

Separation technique provides rapid quantitative determination of cesium-137 in irradiated nuclear fuel

Potassium cobalt ferrocyanide is used to determine cesium-137 activity in irradiated fuel samples. It preferentially removes cesium from an acid solution of the fuel material. The residue is filtered and analyzed with a gamma spectrometer

Interaction Between Ion Beams and Plasmas

Interaction between low energy cesium ion beam and thermal cesium plasm