A radiation source for use in an arming system for airborne weapons comprng a stainless steel sphere filled with krypton-85 (Kr.sup.85) radioactive gas at high pressure and having gold plated internal surfaces to form Bremsstrahlung targets which continuously emit gamma radiation when subjected to the beta radiation from the Kr.sup.85. A depleted uranium (U.sup.238) or tungsten shield surrounds the steel sphere and means are provided for pivoting part of the shield away from the steel sphere to permit the gamma radiation to escape and irradiate part of the path followed by a released bomb. The Kr.sup.85 may be harmlessly dissipated in the atmosphere, if desired, by activation of an explosive squib fixed to a fill tube on the sphere.
A method for nondestructively determining the deuterium and tritium content of laser fusion targets by counting the x rays produced by the interaction of tritium beta particles with the walls of the microballoons used to contain the deuterium and tritium gas mixture under high pressure. The x rays provide a direct measure of the tritium content and a means for calculating the deuterium content using the initial known D-T ratio and the known deuterium and tritium diffusion rates.
