While Zhao Yi was fretting about how to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, Ni Hongyu set down the phone he had been speaking on with his superiors and fell into a state of ’disorientation’ in the positron-electron collider experintal laboratory.
"A brand new neutron generator? A theoretical paper?"
"Zhao Yi..."
Ni Hongyu rembered how, during the holidays, when Zhao Yi had co to the High Energy Institute, he had taken Zhao Yi on a tour of the laboratories in the Institute. They discussed the neutron generator project for a while. At that ti, Zhao Yi seed to have asked a question. He had said, "What would happen if soone else made a neutron generator?" Ni Hongyu had thought about it and gave a few explanations, but later just forgot about it and even found it sowhat amusing in retrospect.
Soone else making a neutron generator? Was he joking?
In the positron-electron collider experintal laboratory that was specifically working on this project, many professionals were utterly clueless. There were similar research efforts internationally, but he hadn’t heard of any major breakthroughs.
And what happened?
Zhao Yi had co up with a new theory for producing a neutron generator?
Was that possible?
If it weren’t for Ding Shouxian calling him personally to explain, Ni Hongyu wouldn’t believe it was true; he would have assud everyone was pulling his leg.
When sothing with the potential to be classified is reported, verification is not just a matter of going ahead with it. It requires ticulous scrutiny, especially for scientific theories like neutron generators, as the verification process could cost a lot.
After Ding Shouxian found out, he gathered several experts to validate the principle of the neutron generator that Zhao Yi had explained in his paper.
What Zhao Yi proposed—a new type of neutron generator—was not complex in principle.
The direction of a neutron’s emission depends on the rotation direction of the atom. Since the rotation direction of each atom varies, the neutrons produced by these atoms will be emitted in different directions, causing scattering.
The new neutron generator’s approach is to control all of the atoms to rotate in the sa direction so that the emitted neutrons can be directed towards a specific target, creating a highly directional neutron beam.
Although the theory sounds simple, it’s quite difficult in practice because of the significant technical challenge posed by stimulating neutron emissions while controlling atom motion.
In Zhao Yi’s theory, he detailed a thod for small-scale activation. It’s similar to the workings of a large engine, producing high energy through high temperatures and pressures. But instead of using intricate component assembly, it uses existing neutron activation technology.
Ni Hongyu is also quite knowledgeable about neutron generators. After examining the theoretical content carefully, he suppressed his amazent and lanted, "Zhao Yi really is no ordinary guy! He ca to look at the neutron generator project and ca up with a new neutron generator technology..."
"Maybe it’s because he specializes in theory, so technical stuff seems straightforward to him?"
"Perhaps?"
Ni Hongyu could only shake his head with a bitter smile. He knew what to do next - he imdiately gathered the laboratory’s elite personnel to validate the new neutron generator technology. The issue wasn’t about the feasibility of the theory anymore, but rather how to use the new theoretical thod to produce a neutron generator.
...
Compared to the hustle and bustle of the positron-electron collider experintal laboratory, Zhao Yi’s life was much more relaxed. After completing his research on supersymtry, he was able to return to a normal life for a period of ti.
Ordinary college life was a rare luxury.
Zhao Yi relished his leisurely day-to-day activities – going to class, playing gas with his classmates, kicking a ball around on the playing field, and even going out on the weekends with Lin Xiaoqing.
But there were still so botherso issues.
The issue with the dical Science Center was not completely resolved. Thankfully, Zhao Yi ’perfectly avoided’ the initial stages by holing up at ho doing his research for half a month and managed to steer clear of direct inquiries.
What he was waiting for was the internal conference on the dical Science Center construction plan.
This conference was arranged by the university and attended by school managent. The rest were mainly from the School of Life Sciences and the Biodical Research Institute.
The conference mainly focused on two aspects - the construction plan and the allocation sche.
A construction project isn’t sothing that can be finalized in one internal eting, particularly when none of them are building engineers. Construction tasks are given to professional companies. The conference was mainly about discussing requirents, like how many large labs are required, how much large-scale equipnt is needed, and what core equipnt should be included, etc.
In other words, the construction plan’s discussion mainly concerned the integration of needs.
Then there was the allocation sche.
The allocation sche touched on the internal disagreents within the School of Life Sciences. The Biodical Research Institute could not monopolize the dical Science Center, and the school wouldn’t allow it. Thus, the conference turned into a squabble between the Biodical Research Institute and everyone else.
An academic conference is not always civil.
Although the eting was attended by necessary high-level leaders and two academicians, the attendees nearly ca to blows over matters concerning their work environnt and future developnt.
The dispute finally boiled down to who got ownership of the three large laboratories within the institution.
The Biodical Research Institute asked for two, but others thought that one was enough for the Biodical Research Institute. They also needed one, while the third could be discussed later.
"Discuss later? If we say let’s discuss it later now, by the ti ’later’ cos, it won’t belong to our institute anymore, will it?"
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