Re: americium 241

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2002 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: americium 241


> Original poster: "rheidlebaugh by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<rheidlebaugh-at-zialink-dot-com>
>
> Years ago the govt. tried to replace spark-gaps with radio active
> spark-gaps, the results was a disaster. The radio active gaps would fire
and
> not stop until the transformer or power supply burned open. They dont
> quench.
>   Robert  H


Many of the sealed gaps (as for over voltage protection) around do use a
(very)small amount of a radioactive substance (typically Kr or Ni) to
stabilize their trigger characteristics, particularly if they may or may not
be in the dark (the photo electric effect, particularly from UV (i.e.
sunlight), changes the trigger characteristics notably).

And, of course, the notorious Krytrons (and their cousins, the Sprytron) use
Ni to reduce their jitter, and improve reliability.  Krytrons have enough in
them that they have a radiation sticker on them (or, at least the ones I
have do).  There ARE non-nuclear uses for Krytrons, as it happens, but their
most notorious use is for very low jitter timing (sub nsec) of impulses to
fire multiple explosive initiators (good timing, lots of initiation points,
consistent quality explosives, and you don't need all those fancy lenses,
etc.).  In this application, the devices might sit for 10 years or more, and
have to work perfectly, the first time, and depending on photoionization or
waste gas in the tube, or whatever, just won't do.