Since the Iron Man arc nuclear reactor is a fictitious gadget , and it has no prescribed scientific explanation in the Iron Man canyon that I ’m aware of , we might as well something up . Now , I ’m mixing real science and phoney science here . So natural philosophy nerds and funny - book nerds : cover with it .
Let ’s look at what we have it away about the electric discharge nuclear reactor from movies 1 and 2 .
The full - sized arc reactor looks a lot like a toroidal “ Tokomak ” plasm containment system for standard “ live fusion ” :
Tony Stark ( L ) and Obadiah Stane ( gas constant ) in front of Stark Industries ’ bow reactor .
The real world equivalent of which is theITERfusion reactor :
Fusion Energy Division
This character of coalition reactor exists today at inquiry pilot scurf . The reactor pictured , ITER , is under construction and is planned to be the first fusion reactor large enough to grow a net increase of Department of Energy . essentially it mashes two isotope of hydrogen , heavy hydrogen and tritium , together at such high energies that they combine into one atom . When they flux , the response produce atomic number 2 and a gratis neutron . Critically , helium+neutron has less peck than deuterium+tritium , and the missing quite a little is converted to energy . That vim can be capture as heat to run a traditional steam - drive turbine ( like any other power works ) .
So what does the arc reactor ’s torus ( donut ) shape tell us ? It means there are charged particles moving in a circle , contained by a magnetic field of operation . High - energy particle usually have eminent energy because they ’re moving very tight , and magnetised fields can curve the motion of charged particle . curve the corpuscle ’ motion into a circle keep them in one spot long enough to get them to clash .
You may acknowledge that current fusion nuclear reactor aim have a lot of attraction coils on the exterior of the tore , whereas the Stark Industries bow reactor has a reckon windowpane . Plasma containment is the single biggest challenge for hot spinal fusion , but the discharge reactor makes it attend casual . From this we can conclude that a primal technology in the full - scale arc nuclear reactor is a way to contain the response in a ego - sustaining band . This phone line of logical thinking is by all odds backed up by the toroidal field lines drawn in the Stark Industries arc reactor blueprints :
Arc nuclear reactor design
What else do we know about the miniature spark nuclear reactor ?
hold a palladium core
The atomic number 46 is damaged by neutron , so the specific isotope is crucial
Has electromagnetic roll in a toroid
Emits blue - white light
Can be built in a cave with creature of temperate complexness
Requires no exotic material outside what you could scavenge from demolished ceremonious weapons systems
Runs low on index at inconvenient clock time , meaning it must have some variety of fuel or consume mission
Palladium has been proposed as a substrate for “ cold ” fusion that does not require red-hot plasmas and containment torus , but this concept is jolly widely discredited in the existent public . Palladium does , however , have some interesting capture and decline properties . Wikipedia : Isotopes of atomic number 46
Palladium isotope Pd-103 produces Rh-103 ( rhodium ) via electron gaining control . This imply an inside electron is absorbed by the cell nucleus , merging with a proton to produce a neutron and an energetic photon — a gamma ray .
Another isotope , Pd-107 , produces Ag-107 ( ash gray ) via beta disintegration , releasing an electron when a neutron turn into a proton . ( This is kind of the diametrical chemical reaction as the above . ) Now , in real - cosmos physics , the electrons balance the resulting nuclear nuclei — silver and Rh have different numbers of proton from palladium , and the produced / consumed electron just equilibrate out the proton count so there is no nett flow rate of electricity .
I propose that Howard Stark find a way ( using comic - rule book physics ) to utilize the beta decay of Pd-107 ion as an electronsource for the electron capture of Pd-103 , thereby producing an electric circuit between two dissimilar radioactive isotopes .
Pd-103 is very radioactive ( 17 day half - life sentence ) compare to Pd-107 ( 6.5 million year half - life sentence ) so there would need to be dramatically more of the big isotope to compensate for the disparity in decay rate .
The atomic number 46 core of the gadget would most likely be Pd-107 , which emits high - push negatron as it dilapidate into silver . This is a moderately stable isotope that we would expect to be present in the normal ( non - isolated ) palladium that Tony might salvage from a conventional arm .
Since we know the machine uses charged speck journey within a ring of electromagnets , I suspect that a tiny amount of Pd-103 is ionize by an electric arc ( thus the reactor ’s name , and start - up power requirement ) , which then allow Pd-103 + to be circulated at high speed within the out ring of the gimmick . The ionization playact to delay the electron gaining control gradation until the atom encounters a barren electron , and the high kinetic Department of Energy due to velocity increase the chances of electron capture occurring once an negatron is encountered . In effect , the radioactive decay of Pd-103 can be started , stop , and throttled by the machine simply by controlling the ionization and circulation of the Pd-103 .
The equipment ’s geometry and electromagnetic fields route the high - energy electrons from the Pd-107 core towards the outer ring . There the electrons are captured by high - energy Pd-103 ion . This electron capture summons give out da Gamma ray , which are deflected inward to catalyze the beta decline of the Pd-107 core . We have some good grounds for this gamma ray emission , because the lawsuit ’s chestpiece unibeam weapon is clearly an discharge of a large number of gamey - vigor photon directly from the spark reactor . Normally , the da Gamma rays are conduct inwards to catalyse the gadget ’s operation , but they can be directed outward in a saturated energy ray weapon :
Sandman vs Iron - Man
So to sum up : electron externalise outwards from the intimate inwardness , and gamma rays project inward from the outer ring . Because this negatron / photon counterflow creates a deficit of electrons ( relative to protons ) in the core , a monumental electrostatic potential is developed and the palladium core attracts depleted - energy electrons from the courting ’s wiring . The ejection of electron from the core towards the rim of the gadget produces an electric jail cell capable of generating tremendous electric potential and current .
Here ’s the full propose reactor start - up cognitive process :
Using external power , Pd-103 is ionized by an galvanizing arc , and quicken to high velocity in the outer ring . There may also be some outwardly - power gamma ray of light production to jump-start - get going the inner core .
Pd-107 in the inner core bulge out to breathe eminent - energy electrons as it decays to Ag-107 . The electrons break away the heart and are manoeuver by magnetic fields into the outer ring . Lack of electrons make a net positively charged bang in the pith , which slow down further discharge ( prevent run - away decay ) until the electrons can be externally refill .
In the verboten ring , the high - vim free electrons collide with high - energy Pd-103 + ion . This causes instantaneous electron capture and da Gamma ray emission . The da Gamma shaft of light are deflect inwards towards the kernel , thus catalyzing further negatron emission and producing a self - sustaining reaction . Note that the chemical reaction is ego - sustaining , but very slow while the reactor is jobless .
The electron flow from the inner core to the outer center create an galvanic likely difference . When a electric circuit is created through the wooing ’s electrical load , the out ring has an excess of electrons and the privileged core has a shortage of electrons . This create current .
The electric electric current through an international payload still the electrostatic charge accumulations that initially slowed the reactions . So the less power the lawsuit draws , the obtuse the nuclear reactor produces radioactive decay , and the more power the suit draws , the faster the reactions are catalyzed . That way , the power output automatically throttles accord to need .
The atomic number 46 lento converts to Rh-103 and Ag-107 , and the nuclear reactor run out of power when the Pd is in full consumed .
Top position of my conception vs the Stark Industries blueprint , with abbreviate - away side horizon below .
I ca n’t speak for the next - gen “ new chemical element ” arc nuclear reactor , but presumably it replace the palladium isotopes with a hypothetical constituent that also undergoes gamma - irradiation - mediated genus Beta radioactive decay , but in a less - toxic and high - yield way .
Several other bank line of grounds also fend for this type of atomic decomposition / electron flux chemical reaction being the mechanism for the arc reactor . First , the reactor ’s glow :
Via
It could be do by the ionization arc , but I thinkCherenkov radiationis a much just explanation . This is a special type of light expelling that appears when an gumptious particle ( such as electron ) enters a medium ( like water supply or melody ) at a f number faster than the amphetamine of light in that medium . The eminent - vigor electron magnetic field within the arc reactor would be a raw tantrum to return this effect . This is a picture of an actual nuclear reactor bring about Cherenkov radiation :
discover the similarities ? Unlike electrical arc , the ignitor from Cherenkov radioactivity is quiet , nerveless - gamy , and fricken ’ awesome . This is a no - brainer — the arc reactor ’s gleam is definitely being produced by high - energy negatron magnetic flux .
Another aspect of the original modeling palladium arc reactor was poisoning due to “ palladium toxicity ” . It ’s very potential that palladium is simply being squirt from the equipment into Tony ’s blood by all the gamey - zip collisions proceed on , but this does n’t excuse the freaky circuit - looking line on his pectus , and it does n’t excuse why doctor ca n’t help him .
I have a theory that accommodate the symptoms better . Remember , the proposed palladium decay reaction bring forth rhodium and silver . Excess internal silver is do it to stain peel blue :
via How Stuff Works
Rh chemical compound also stain skin , and are highly toxic . ( Chemical property , Health and Environmental issue ) In fact , because most mass have essentially zero pic to atomic number 45 , the toxicity of atomic number 45 is very poorly - realize . This absolutely explains why Tony did n’t seek help from the aesculapian establishment for his accumulated overweight metal toxicity — because he sleep together the doctors would n’t know how to deal with atomic number 45 poisoning . Tony Stark did n’t have simple Pd toxic condition , he had “ palladium disintegration - merchandise ” poisoning !
So you see , everything fits together utterly . The evidence all repoint towards the electric discharge reactor relying on a Pd-103 / Pd-107 radio - isotopic decay cell to produce electric current . I will start exercise on my own arc reactor paradigm and will place updates when I make a knead replication .
What is the theory / concept behind the “ Miniature Arc Reactor ” built by Tony Stark?originally appeared onQuora . you may postdate Quora onTwitter , Facebook , andGoogle+ .
This answer has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity .
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