nagyepf
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Electric discharge in radon gas and radon isotopes
I have a thought experiment. Put radium,thorium,protactinium(or actinium ) or actinium in a glass pipe with2 electrodes and evacuate it.After a few
months or probably less decay products containing Radon 219,220 or 222 should build up.
Now apply high voltage across the ends of the tube and watch the discharge.
Radon is said to have a red light like helium and neon,but some sources claim to have a yellow luminescence.
If you consider that from a ton of uranium ore contains 3 grams of protactinium,0.142 grams of radium(probably more but that's the amount that can be
isolated) and not precise amount of actinium(some sources claim 0.15.some 0.2,some 1.5,some 15 and some even 100 or 150 milligrams per ton),it would
be possible to extract a mixture containing Ra and Pa and Ac.
Also 228Ra can be extracted from thorium ore.
Another question: 221 and 223 Rn isotopes ar not considered to be found in nature even in the slightest traces.But i believe that it is formed by
neutron capture of 220 and 222 Rn.What are your thoughts on this?
[Edited on 02-09-2017 by nagyepf]
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unionised
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Reminds me of the famous experiment which proved that alpha particles are helium nuclei.
Here's a write up.
http://web.lemoyne.edu/~Giunta/EA/ROYDSann.HTML
It says "We have seen that in the experiments above described helium was not observed in the outer tube in sufficient quantity to show the
characteristic yellow line until two days had elapsed. Now the equilibrium amount of emanation from 100 milligrams of radium should produce helium at
the rate of about
.03 c.mm. per day."
Good luck getting 100,000 smoke detectors worth of alpha emitters.
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nagyepf
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Quote: Originally posted by unionised  | Reminds me of the famous experiment which proved that alpha particles are helium nuclei.
Here's a write up.
http://web.lemoyne.edu/~Giunta/EA/ROYDSann.HTML
It says "We have seen that in the experiments above described helium was not observed in the outer tube in sufficient quantity to show the
characteristic yellow line until two days had elapsed. Now the equilibrium amount of emanation from 100 milligrams of radium should produce helium at
the rate of about
.03 c.mm. per day."
Good luck getting 100,000 smoke detectors worth of alpha emitters.
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1 smoke detector contains 0.2 micrograms of Am241.100,000 would contain 20 mg.Am241 is about 3 times more radioactive than Ra226 so about 60mg of
radium would be required.
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