[ARC5] Yamato

[Sandy]

Alpha doesn't go very far.  very thin aluminium foil will shield it.  It 
only goes a few inches in air.  The BIG danger is ingesting or breathing 
some isotope particles that emit alpha and they can do you damage while they 
are in your body.  Swallowed, they will eventually be excreted.  In the lung 
they may stay forever.

Beta- will go further but I don't think they are nearly as damaging as I 
recall.

GAMMA- is the radiation that penetrates metal and has to be guarded against. 
It does almost same damage as strong x-rays and much more penetrating power. 
I think It is the primary cause of radiation sickness and death from 
exposure, like people trying to clean up Cheronoble and the Japanese nuclear 
accidents.

Most of my reading was about experimentation many years ago and I can't 
quote exact effects anymore.

I was always spooked about people carrying around "test samples" in their 
pockets.  Think that is risky stuff.

73,

Sandy W5TVW

-----Original Message----- 
From: gordon white
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 4:38 PM
To: jfor at quikus.com
Cc: ARC5 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Yamato

Isn't radium radiation Alpha? I had a radium-dial watch in the 1950s
that tripped detectors while visiting a nuclear power plant. I was told
it was harmless -  Alpha - would not penetrate skin. Just don't eat the
stuff. But I know an old aircraft guy who got into a lot of trouble over
luminous instrument dials. At one time my race car had surplus
instruments that had that problem.
  - Gordon White
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