I_S
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- May 17, 2015
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Given that at least three separate species of radiophagic/radiovorous black mold have been discovered inside what's left of Chernobyl's reactor #4, happily photosynthesizing the gamma radiation the corium in the "elephant's foot" is giving off, I don't think the idea of what's essentially a photovoltaic cell working in the gamma ray wavelengths is that implausible.
Inefficient, yes, like all solar cells (in terms of surface area required per energy output), and prone to rapid decay due to the damage from alpha and beta particles, but I don't see any physics-based reason it couldn't be made to work, anyway. Gamma rays are merely, as Spock once put it, high-energy photons, after all.
The energy differential between irradiated area and working mechanical device is just absurd though. Either the mech has to sit in place for days to charge or its charging in an area with enough energy to flash ignite the air. There's no way a regular photovoltaic wouldn't generate at least as much if not geometrically more energy.
Also, if the area is heavily irradiated enough to make a specially radiation based voltaic cell viable, then why not just make a breeder reactor ??
That said fallout is a setting notorious for magic radiation.