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Re: Radioactive

In a message dated 11/28/1999 1:10:38 PM Mountain Standard Time, 
jonee@epix.net writes:

<< If  one is getting a "hot" reading from a radiometer/Geiger Counter then 
perhaps
 the scale on the instrument is misset OR one has had the misfortune to have
 revovered a piece which has some fission material embedded--perhaps 
plutonium.
  >>
Plutonium is correctly stated as an alpha emitter.  Alpha radiation will not 
be detected by a Geiger Counter as the radiation will be stopped by the 
typically aluminum skin surrounding the detector.  One of the daughter 
products of plutonium decay is americium which does emit a weak gamma ray 
that could be detected by a Geiger Counter.  In fact that is precisely the 
technology which has been employed on Johnston Atoll to identify hot 
particles of plutonium contained in coral sand that emanated from the 
emergency high explosive detonation of a warhead on rocket that failed to 
launch about 1962.  A gamma detector array is utilized to identify the 
americium gamma of hot particles on a moving belt which are then selected for 
collection with the aid of computers and mechanical actuated trays.

Regards,

Richard Kunter,  rskunter@aol.com

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