Questions 1, 3, and 5

1. Compute (a) the thermal power density and (b) specific thermal power of a 241AmO2 heat source. 2. Repeat the previous problem for a210PoO2 heat source. 3. Write balanced reaction equations for (a) the production of Po-210 from Bi-209, and (b) the decay of Po-210. 4. In April 1970, the Apollo 13 lunar mission was aborted because of an oxygen tank explosion in the command module. A SNAP-27 RTG system containing 3.8 kg of 238PuO2 aboard the Apollo 13 lunar excursion module reentered the atmosphere above the south Pacific and fell into the Tonga Trench. 3 (a) Compute the initial power output of the Pu-238 source. (b) Compute the current power output of the Pu-238 source. (c) It is estimated that the corrosion-resistant container holding the Pu-238 could remain intact for several centuries. Compute the power output of the Pu-238 source after 300 years. 5. The unmanned space probe Voyager 2, launched on 20 August 1977, explored the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The instruments aboard Voyager 2 were powered by radioisotope thermal generators (RTGs). The RTGs were fueled by 238Pu(1/2=87.7yr), which decays to 234U(1/2=0.35Myr), with the release of 5.49MeV. (a) If the RTGs were 5\% efficient, compute the initial quantity of plutonium required to provide 400W of electric power four years after launch, when the probe reached Saturn. (b) How much power would have been available 12 years after launch, when the probe reached Neptune? (c) Other spacecraft have used solar panels to produce electrical power. For instance, Space Lab used 730- m2 solar panels to generate 10.5kW of power in earth orbit (1 AU from the sun). What area of solar panels would have been required to provide 400W at the orbital distance of Saturn (9.5 AU from the sun)? Note that the intensity of solar radiation drops off as the square of the distance from the sun