this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2023
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[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.de 39 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (11 children)

a) Alvin:
²³⁵U (α, t~½~ = 7.04 × 10⁸ y) (fissile @ spherical critical diameter 17.3 cm) →
²³¹Th (β⁻, t~½~ = 25.5 h) →
²³¹Pa (α, t~½~ = 3.27 × 10⁴ y) →
²²⁷Ac (β⁻, t~½~ = 21.8 y) →
²²⁷Th (α, t~½~ = 18.7 d) →
²²³Ra (α, t~½~ = 11.4 d) →
²¹⁹Rn (α, t~½~ = 3.96 s) →
²¹⁵Po (α, t~½~ = 1.78 s) →
²¹¹Pb (β⁻, t~½~ = 36.1 min) →
²¹¹Bi (α, t~½~ = 2.14 min) →
²⁰⁷Tl (β⁻, t~½~ = 4.77 min) →
²⁰⁷Pb (stable)

b) Theodore:
²³⁹Pu (α, t~½~ = 2.031 × 10⁴ y) →
²³⁵U (α, t~½~ = 7.04 × 10⁸ y) →
²³¹Th (β⁻, t~½~ = 25.5 h) →
²³¹Pa (α, t~½~ = 3.27 × 10⁴ y) →
²²⁷Ac (β⁻, t~½~ = 21.8 y) →
²²⁷Th (α, t~½~ = 18.7 d) →
²²³Ra (α, t~½~ = 11.4 d) →
²¹⁹Rn (α, t~½~ = 3.96 s) →
²¹⁵Po (α, t~½~ = 1.78 s) →
²¹¹Pb (β⁻, t~½~ = 36.1 min) →
²¹¹Bi (α, t~½~ = 2.14 min) →
²⁰⁷Tl (β⁻, t~½~ = 4.77 min) →
²⁰⁷Pb (stable)

c) Simon:
²²⁵Ra (β⁻, t~½~ = 14.9 d) →
²²⁵Ac (α, t~½~ = 9.92 d) →
²²¹Fr (α, t~½~ = 4.18 min) →
²¹⁷At (α, t~½~ = 32.3 ms) →
²¹³Bi (β⁻, t~½~ = 45.6 min) →
²¹³Po (α, t~½~ = 3.65 μs) →
²⁰⁹Pb (β⁻, t~½~ = 3.25 h) →
²⁰⁹Bi (α, t~½~ = 2.01 × 10¹⁹ y) (this is WAY more than the age of the universe so it’s unlikely that any atom in the sample will become tellurium in Simon’s lifetime)→
²⁰⁵Tl (stable)

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[–] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 34 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It took me far too long to realize what was going on before this image was modified...

[–] photonic_sorcerer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 11 months ago

Dear god...

[–] TheBlue22@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 11 months ago

They're close enough to each other for that shit to not matter. They are dead as fuck fr

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] hallettj 10 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Radium produces the most radiation by miles. The plutonium gives off some alpha radiation that won't hurt you if you don't eat it. (Eye protection would be a good idea I suppose.) I don't remember what U-235 emits but I don't think it's a huge amount.

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.de 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

The half-life of ^235^U is hundreds of millions of years so it is not a concern. However, it will literally become a nuke if too much (a few liters or 60 kg) get too close together.

The half-life of plutonium-239 is tens of thousands of years so only a thousandth will get a chance to hurt Theodore over his lifetime. However, it is probably chemically toxic so it might cause non-radiation poisoning.

Radium-225 will decay in days, and will quickly go through 7 more radioactive reactions, both alpha and beta, before becoming essentially stable bismuth. It is the worst by far.

[–] ToastedPlanet@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 11 months ago

The plutonium gives off some alpha radiation that won’t hurt you if you don’t eat it.

Breathing in particles of plutonium is the danger.

Because it emits alpha particles, plutonium is most dangerous when inhaled. When plutonium particles are inhaled, they lodge in the lung tissue. The alpha particles can kill lung cells, which causes scarring of the lungs, leading to further lung disease and cancer. Plutonium can enter the blood stream from the lungs and travel to the kidneys, meaning that the blood and the kidneys will be exposed to alpha particles. Once plutonium circulates through the body, it concentrates in the bones, liver, and spleen, exposing these organs to alpha particles. Plutonium that is ingested from contaminated food or water does not pose a serious threat to humans because the stomach does not absorb plutonium easily and so it passes out of the body in the feces.

Radioisotope Brief: Plutonium

[–] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago
[–] JizzmasterD@lemmy.ca 1 points 11 months ago