A Nuclear Excited Xenon Flashlamp

Abstract: A Xenon flashlamp containing a mixture of Helium-3 and Xenon at 4 atm is irradiated by a pulse of thermal neutrons moderated from a burst reactor. Energy is produced via the He3(n, p)T3 reaction to ionize and excite the Xenon gas. The Xenon then radiates the absorbed energy as a grey body with a color temperature proportional to the power density created by the nuclear reactions. At very low power densities, the Xenon will form Xenon Dimers and radiate almost entirely in the Vacuu...