[meteorite-list] Hiroshima Artifact at Ebay ... was Poor

[E.L. Jones]

Actually, this is an interesting, if not high priced, artifact with very prominent fusion features--probably authentic ... I have some samples from both Hiroshima and Nagasaki which aren't as good. Interesting thing with these ceramics, is the heat reached sufficient high temps long enough for creamic/clay(refractory) roof tiles to form a glass fusion coating. Some roof tiles became so plastic they flowed together into blobs! I consider this a very remarkable feat given the melting temperatures of clay. Even river pebbles ( in the pyroxene class) formed glass blobs on their exposed surface. Some blebs of glass very similar to Trinitie can be found in soil and sand. I assume this fusion coating is what brought this to the Meteorite category in the sense that it is a natural glass(sic).
A question is was the glass formed from micro mineral particles or, did biological coatings contribure to a natural "glaze"? For the artsie types out there you know how hot you have to fire ceramics in the Kiln. To me it looks like both may have happened but the bulk was from the tile itself

As to radiation and radioactivity and half lives, etc.-- the radiation at all 3 of the 1945 blast sites are back to a level which is described as slightly above background. The half lives of most the contaminants have dropped radiation to well below safe levels. The remaining ionizing radiation today is mostly alpha and rarely do they find any plutonium particles at Trinity, based on my recall of studies over the years at these sites. So while I don't have the specifics of what daughter products were produced, I remember the findings and those are that radiation levels are largely normal and passed being harmful decades ago. Key concept is most of them had half lives of hours and days vs years.

I don't know who posted the comments about radioactivity below but it is not totally factual-- no offense intended who ever it was. There have been nearly 6 decades not 2. "Dangerous" radiation components dropped off within days/weeks-Remember both cities remained habitable--but no US military personel were reported to have developed radiation sickness when arriving within two weeks of the explosions. One the other hand people living to the north of one of the cities-- I don't recall which--endured the "black rain" rather than the rays of the fireball. The black rain was precipitation laden with fallout. These people were the ones who suffered the most radiation effects after the direct fireball damage: direct deaths, birth defects , cancers etc. The stones, tiles and other structure materials as a rule didn't become radioactive..that was situated in soils and soot and dust etc. Finally "radioactive" is a relative term depending on how and where used.


Regards to all from the Frozen Northeast US, Where I am sitting on my collection of radioactive samples to keep warm....NOT
Elton


M come Meteorite Meteorites wrote:

Hello

I have see just yesterday this auction.....but why a
piece of wall in the meteorite section???
Regards

Matteo

If it isn't radioactive "any more" then, IT WAS
NEVER RADIOACTIVE!!!!!!!! THE HALF LIFE OF THE RADIOACTIVITY IS A HECK OF A
LOT LONGER THAN A COUPLE OF DECADES!!!!!!

______________________________________________
Meteorite-list mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list