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From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: net.bizarre
Subject: Re: Re: Re: plutonium
Message-ID: <270@kitty.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Aug-85 21:35:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: kitty.270
Posted: Wed Aug  7 21:35:58 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 9-Aug-85 04:26:42 EDT
References: <541@bentley.UUCP> <499@mit-vax.UUCP> <217@kitty.UUCP> <544@mit-vax.UUCP>
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 42

> >> Nothing, probably. Plutonium is VERY VERY VERY poisonous, but not
> >> particularly explosive (the amount needed to make a bomb is not easily
> >> transported).
> >
> >This is pure bull.
> ... 
> >And to make a bomb all you need is a couple times critical mass.
> 
> THIS is pure bull. If you have ONE times critical mass it will blow up,
> you lunkhead! That's what critical mass MEANS! Bombs contain LESS than ...
> 
> Fine, why don't I just fill your briefcase with plutonium and see how
> long you can carry it around before you drop dead. 8 grams of plutonium
> will boil a liter of water in about a minute. I don't think you want to
> carry around a breifcaseful.

	Why don't *both* of you turkeys get your physics straight before
opening your mouths?
	There are several isotopes of plutonium, ALL of which are alpha
emitters.  Do you know what an alpha particle is?  You can safely shield
the radiation from plutonium with aluminum foil!  It is indeed true that
plutonium is one of the most toxic materials known to man, but it has to
get *inside* the human body for it to be toxic.
	Plutonium-239 is the weapons-grade isotope, and is not the form of
plutonium known for maximum heat emission based upon spontaneous decay.
Plutonium enriched 80% in Plutonium-238 is the isotope used for heat
generation in thermoelectric power generators, and its thermal specific
power is 0.56 watts/gram.  8 grams is 4.48 watts.  Do you have any idea how
long 4.48 watts will take to raise the temperature of water from 20 to 100
deg C and boil it?  Try around 1 *week* (assuming you had no external heat
loss)!

	Larry Lippman
	Recognition Research Corp.
	Clarence, New York
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