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Re: A radiochemical anecdote

I like it, Star.

Thanks.

Cheers,

Rick

Richard E. Swanson, Ph.D.
Dean of Instruction
Physics Professor
Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, NC 28374
swansonr@sandhills.edu (910) 695-3715

msylvest@XNET.IT 08/21/02 04:16PM >>>
Leigh's anecdote reminds me of the cleanest half-life data I ever
managed
to get in a school lab. A colleague in the Bio dept had an infant (now
a
thriving 10-year-old) with a metabolic disorder that was being
diagnosed by
means of a radioactive tracer. We in the physics lab obtained a
urine-soaked diaper which was emitting what I think I recall were
X-rays
from an electron capture process at a "healthy" rate. This was left
undisturbed in front of a GM tube for some weeks while we took daily
measurements of the count-rate - the half-life was about 2 weeks (my
memory
could be at fault here).

Mark.

At 10:06 21/08/02 -0400, Leigh Palmer wrote:
The Yucca Mountain discussion moves me to reminisce (from
Massachusetts
today).

Back in 1960 I was a grad student at Cal and my wife was expecting
our first child. Evelyn was at that time a radiochemist working at
the Crocker radiation laboratory on campus...

Mark Sylvester
UWCAd
Duino Trieste Italy