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Things to do with "hot rocks"

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LAN_403

EEYORE

Wed Jul 19 2006, 08:19PM

Registered Member #99 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:10PM
Location: florida, usa
Posts: 637

Hello all,
on a whim i got a piece of uranium ore which reads at 18000cpm, and 3mR/Hr (gamma).
What are some things one can do beside make a geiger sing?Also, I am going to be getting some Autunite crystals which read at 10000cmp, 15Mr/hr...This is flourescent, so I thought it may be neat to have with some UV LEDs...

Any fun(yet safe) things to do with this?Dont worry, the samples will be contained in a lead container(although i dont think these readings are very dangerous, or are they?)

Matt

...

Wed Jul 19 2006, 09:35PM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

Cloud chamber?

See how their presence affects the breakdown voltage of air?

Coyote Wilde

Wed Jul 19 2006, 11:00PM

Registered Member #175 Joined: Tue Feb 14 2006, 09:32PM
Location: Sudbury, ON
Posts: 111

Toss one to someone-- "Hey, catch!"
"What's this?"
"Uranium."
Priceless.

Spinantharascope could maybe be doable with a webcam-- though usually that trick works best with alpha and beta emitters; I don't know how much advantage it could take of those fun shiny gamma rays.

Dr. Drone

Thu Jul 20 2006, 12:34AM

Registered Member #290 Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 08:24PM
Location:
Posts: 1673

EEYORE

Thu Jul 20 2006, 05:29AM

Registered Member #99 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:10PM
Location: florida, usa
Posts: 637

That looks like Autunite there...Such a nice piece too at that!Would UV LEDs cause the Autunite to flouresce well?I have some 1000mcd 405nm LEDs...

I wonder if there is anything that would glow when exposed to the radiation from this stuff?Maybe I will make a spinthariscope with the small Autunite crystals. They are supposedly doing 15mR/hr...Way higher than Americium from smoke detectors(which ive seen used before). Perhaps phosphor from a flourescent light bulb?

Matt

Dr. Drone

Thu Jul 20 2006, 04:44PM

Registered Member #290 Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 08:24PM
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Posts: 1673

EEYORE

Thu Jul 20 2006, 07:20PM

Registered Member #99 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:10PM
Location: florida, usa
Posts: 637

Wow, I am so intrigued now about this stuff!
Here is an idea i just came up with...You know those lil tritium keyrings?The ones with a small glass tube with tritium gas inside, and the tube is coated with a phospor and glows for years?Could I make this myself?Except using my Autunite?Would I need to go for the $$$ Zinc Sulfide Silver stuff?I am totally confused on how hot this autunite is that I have...It has 3 different output measures given...2g total loose crystals reading 10000cpm. 15mR/hr (unshielded) and .5mR/hr shielded. I assume the 15mR refers to all three (alpha, beta, gamma) combined. And the .5mR is the gamma?So that would mean alpha + beta = 14.5mR/hr? What does the cpm describe?

I beleive phosphorus is excited by alpha only? So , how does this sample compare to others?Dangerous?Harmless?Usefull for my plan(exciting a phosphor)?Since gamma is VERY low, i should be just fine, no?I plan to put the crystals in a glass tube after coating the inside with phosphor...

So, yay?Nay?

I also have pitcheblende coming. It is rated at 18000cpm and 3mR/hr(gamma)...
So, is it off to the lead market for me?Or simply the drawer?:-)

BTW-Autunite for sale at

(i got the 2g loose crystals)
Thanks!
Matt

Dr. Drone

Fri Jul 21 2006, 04:29AM

Registered Member #290 Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 08:24PM
Location:
Posts: 1673

EEYORE

Fri Jul 21 2006, 05:55AM

Registered Member #99 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:10PM
Location: florida, usa
Posts: 637

Christopher Robin wrote ...

Matt,

Alpha particles contain two protons; and have a positive charge and are extraordinarily heavy (almost like a helium atom core). This allows alpha particles to cause much ionization in a very short distance. Alpha particles will go no more than a few inches in air and are blocked by a sheet of paper. Beta particles are comparable to electrons. Beta particles can go a few feet in air and are easily blocked by solid materials. Gamma and X-rays are photons. Gamma-rays are able to kill living cells, which are used in nuclear medicine(technetium-99m). Depending on their energy level, gamma can travel hundreds of miles in air and can easily go right through people. So most Geiger counters have a cover (shield) that rotates over the tube to block Alpha and Beta. 15mR/hr (unshielded) and .5mR/hr shielded. When you rotate the cover over the tube, the Beta and Alpha are blocked and only the Gamma blast through the rotating cover (shield) and you get the Gamma readings. So you are correct that the total = A+B+G. Unshielded is all the buggers hitting the Geiger tube and .5mR/hr shielded is Gamma only.

CPM stands for Counts per minute which is just another scale than mr. When you hear the Geiger counter click, your count how many clicks per min. More clicks, the more juicy rare earth you have

. I think it would be hard to count 10,000 clicks in one minute (1001, 1002, honey can youâ€¦.. 100? Where was I) so I just watch the meter for mr/hr.

Again, be careful and safe, keep rare earth outside to allow radon gas to discharge, wash hands, keep in a safe place. BTW round-trip flight from Los Angeles to New York on a commercial airline (2.5 mr). Here is some info on exposures a year an average person gets @

.

cheers,
Ch_r

Ahh i see now...Well, I guess it is good then that the gamma is so low in the autunite(.5mR/Hr) as I dont need that just penetrating throughout the place

But now, the pitchblende reads at 3mR/Hr...Maybe ought to be wrapped in lead foil just to be safe?Ive seen some samples on ebay with 400,000cpm! I beleive something may be up with that number, as there is no mR/Hr given...Oh i hope I win this Autunite thats ending in a few hours!Such prononced crystaline structure. The kind thats coming, looks like brown rocks(perhaps hence the low gamma reading?)

My pitcheblende is contained in a sandstone matrix...Could I bust this up and sort out the actuall uranium?Or, is that illegal?

Im going to have to get a gieger and follow you around!Im a big fan now of the autunite type ores of uranium.

Back to the idea of the tritium inspired homemade glow ring...I can get some Silver activated, Zinc Sulfide which glows blue when exposed to alpha...Kinda $$$ at 25$ per 5g, but its supposed to be the best, meant for this thing. ONLY responds to alpha. So i will go ahead and order some. Maybe crush up a small piece of the autunine crystal, and mix it in...Should be neat!
Matt

Carbon_Rod

Sat Jul 22 2006, 07:37AM

Registered Member #65 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:43AM
Location:
Posts: 1155

Actually low level â€œsafeâ€ exposure levels donâ€™t exist â€“ only considered acceptably low probability of developing complications. There has also been recent breakthroughs in discovering the mechanisms that prevent DNA damage from becoming cancer â€“ surely of interest to many people.

I like crystallography a bit -- here is a neat thing that may work with your sample:

Try carefully placing a cheap digital wristwatch on the rock sample (assuming its low level enough not to upset the digital logic too much.) Note crystal un-canning will likely not be necessary. .Set another watch to the same time and place somewhere clean. Come back a few days later and the wristwatchâ€™s time should have changed relative to the other by a little bit. This design flaw was known to have killed several people undergoing radiation treatment by a computer timed exposure unit malfunction.

Cheers,

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