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Re: I found the food numbers!
stevev@efn.org (Steve VanDevender)
>
> KellySt@aol.com writes:
> > >> Would stored food need no protection against radiation? I'm not sure
how
> > much and if the food would become radioactive. But if it does, it may
need
> > shielding too. <<
> >
> > No. Food would only become radioactive if radioactive particals were
mixed in
> > with it. Xrays and stuff would cause no perminent change. Thou it
would
> > keep longer. Its actually been tested as a food preservative, and
works.
>
> The real answer depends on what kind and what level of radiation the
> food is exposed to.
>
> Alpha particles (helium nuclei) and beta particles (electrons) are
> unlikely to do any damage to the food, as they will be stopped by the
> packaging.
>
> Energetic ultraviolet and X-rays may ionize atoms in the stored food and
> produce undesirable chemical changes with high exposure, but won't make
> the food radioactive.
>
> Neutrons or gamma rays could make the food radioactive by interacting
> with the nuclei of atoms in the food; neutrons can be captured by nuclei
> to produce radioactive isotopes or transmutation, and gamma rays can
> induce fission of nuclei. Both types of radiation are likely products
> of fusion or antimatter reactions. Neutron shielding in fusion reactors
> is actually a pretty significant problem, as the shielding itself tends
> to become radioactive.
>
> Any high quantity of radiation of the latter two classes is likely to
> cause degradation of the food over time.
Unless of course the fusion fuel you specified doesn't produce neutrons. Off
hand I can't think of a Gama source on the ship, unles we use antimater. In
that case we have a very hard radiation problem in general.
We might have more problems with cosmic radiation, especially on fast ships.
But given the tolerance of the food vs the human crew I don't, think, it
will be a problem. Certainly less than with a farm where the food has to be
kept healthy to grow.
Kelly