Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations

Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations

Nuclear chemistry is the study of reactions that involve changes in nuclear structure. The nucleus of an atom is composed of protons and, except for hydrogen, neutrons. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number (Z) of the element, and the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are isotopes of the same element.
A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...

Types of Radioactivity

Types of Radioactivity

The most common types of radioactivity are α decay, β decay, γ decay, neutron emission, and electron capture.
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:

Nuclear Fission

Nuclear Fission

Many heavier elements with smaller binding energies per nucleon can decompose into more stable elements that have intermediate mass numbers and larger binding energies per nucleon—that is, mass numbers and binding energies per nucleon that are closer to the “peak” of the binding energy graph near 56. Sometimes neutrons are also produced. This decomposition of a large nucleus into smaller pieces is called fission. The breaking is rather random with the formation of a large number of different...

Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear Fusion

The process of converting very light nuclei into heavier nuclei is also accompanied by the conversion of mass into large amounts of energy, a process called fusion. The principal source of energy in the sun is a net fusion reaction in which four hydrogen nuclei fuse and ultimately produce one helium nucleus and two positrons.
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes

In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis, the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis. This...

Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation

Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation

Nuclear relaxation restores the equilibrium population imbalance and can occur via spin–lattice or spin–spin mechanisms, which are first-order exponential decay processes.
In spin–lattice or longitudinal relaxation, the excited spins exchange energy with the surrounding lattice as they return to the lower energy level. Among several mechanisms that contribute to spin–lattice relaxation, magnetic dipolar interactions are significant. Here, the excited nucleus transfers energy to a nearby...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Direct extraction and high efficiency gross alpha detection of trace-level U or Pu actinides in deionized and saline water samples with CTMFDs.

Journal of environmental radioactivity·2025

Same author

Covid Crisis Resolution Conditions and Socioeconomic Growth.

Herald of the Russian Academy of Sciences·2022

Same author

Case study of hypertriglyceridemia from COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination in a patient with familial hypercholesteremia.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2021

Same author

Different mother and daughter manifestations due to very high cholesterol-containing lipoproteins.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2020

Same author

A case of abdominal pain with dyslipidemia: difficulties diagnosing cholesterol ester storage disease.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2015

Same author

Risk of cardiovascular disease in HIV, hepatitis C, or HIV/hepatitis C patients compared to the general population.

International journal of clinical practice·2012

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 25, 2026

Activating Molecules, Ions, and Solid Particles with Acoustic Cavitation

Activating Molecules, Ions, and Solid Particles with Acoustic Cavitation

Published on: April 12, 2014

Nuclear emissions during self-nucleated acoustic cavitation.

R P Taleyarkhan¹, C D West, R T Lahey

¹Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. rusi@purdue.edu

Physical Review Letters

|February 21, 2006

Summary

A novel acoustic inertial confinement fusion device achieved nuclear emissions using deuterated liquids. Deuterium-deuterium fusion was indicated by neutron energy, suggesting a new path for fusion energy research.

More Related Videos

Controllable Nucleation of Cavitation from Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles for Enhancing High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Applications

Controllable Nucleation of Cavitation from Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles for Enhancing High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Applications

Published on: October 5, 2018

Studying Cavitation Enhanced Therapy

Studying Cavitation Enhanced Therapy

Published on: April 9, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 25, 2026

Activating Molecules, Ions, and Solid Particles with Acoustic Cavitation

Activating Molecules, Ions, and Solid Particles with Acoustic Cavitation

Published on: April 12, 2014

Controllable Nucleation of Cavitation from Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles for Enhancing High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Applications

Controllable Nucleation of Cavitation from Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles for Enhancing High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Applications

Published on: October 5, 2018

Studying Cavitation Enhanced Therapy

Studying Cavitation Enhanced Therapy

Published on: April 9, 2021

Area of Science:

Nuclear Physics
Fusion Energy Research
Acoustic Inertial Confinement

Background:

Acoustic inertial confinement is an emerging technique for achieving nuclear fusion.
Previous research has explored various methods for initiating fusion reactions, but novel approaches are continually sought.

Purpose of the Study:

To test a new stand-alone acoustic inertial confinement nuclear fusion device.
To investigate nuclear emissions from self-nucleated bubbles in different liquid types without external neutron sources.

Main Methods:

Utilized a novel acoustic inertial confinement fusion device.
Conducted experiments with four liquid types, focusing on self-nucleated bubble formation.
Employed four independent detection systems: neutron track plastic detector, a detector, NE-113 liquid scintillation detector, and NaI gamma ray detector.

Main Results:

Observed statistically significant nuclear emissions from deuterated benzene and acetone mixtures.
Detected neutron energy <= 2.45 MeV, consistent with deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion.
Measured neutron emission rates between approximately 5x10^3 n/s and 10^4 n/s, exhibiting inverse distance dependence.

Conclusions:

The acoustic inertial confinement device successfully demonstrated statistically significant nuclear emissions indicative of D-D fusion.
Deuterated benzene and acetone mixtures showed promise, while heavy water did not yield significant emissions.
The results suggest the potential of acoustic inertial confinement as a viable method for fusion energy research.