Jed Rothwell wrote:
> Edmund Storms writes: > > > Pu238 emits a 5.5 MeV alpha with a 1/2 life of 87.7 y. This makes U234 > which > > decays by 4.8 MeW alpha with a 1/2 life of 2.46 x10^5 years. This makes > Th230 > > which decays by 4.7 MeV alpha with a 1/2 life of 7.54 x 10^4 years. > > . . . > > . . . This > > makes Pb214 . . . > > I got it right up to this point, but somehow I went off the track. Okay, > part of the reason is that WebElements.com does not list Pb214. I somehow > got the idea it was stable. Pb214 is a beta emitter with a 27 min half-life. All lead above 208 is unstable and they all are short-lived beta emitters. > > > > Jed, please send me the latest version of your book. I'm back from > Washington > > and have a little more time to comment. > > Will do, as soon as I finish entering the latest batch of corrections. I > hope you had a nice trip. Good trip going, bad trip returning. Apparently you people in Atlanta got some bad weather that threw the system out of whack. However the natives were friendly in Washington even though the Government area is like an armed camp. A person can not leave the street without passing through a metal detector, even to visit a museum. There were armed guards at every entrance. They must think they are more important than chemical plants and nuclear reactors. Most people on the street, except tourists, were wearing badges. It was like being at Los Alamos. Ed > > > - Jed