They became the basis for developingĪn initiator to increase the efficiency of explosions. To yield free neutrons was eventually integrated into the bomb design. However, this tendency of alpha particles to interact with elements Of free neutrons that could cause the bomb to detonate prematurely. In the 1920s alpha and beta radiation helped scientists understand the structure of theĪtomic nucleus, and contributed to research relating to nuclear physics by serving as high-energy projectiles.ĭuring the Manhattan Project, the presence of alpha particles in a mass of fissionable material was of early concern as a potential source Radium for example,ĭecays to radon, which is gaseous and an intense gamma emitter.īritish physicist Ernest Rutherford identified alpha particles during his early work on radioactivity. Still other alpha emitters are hazardous because of the properties of their daughter products. Toxic to man and are usually handled in "glove boxes"-hermetically sealed enclosures with rubber-glove attachments for handling Other alpha emitters, notably poloniumĪnd plutonium, have biochemical properties that make them extremely Handled with appropriate precautions against ingestion or inhalation. Some isotopes that emit alpha radiation, such as uranium, can be safely For this reason, the health hazard associated with alpha particles stems from theĭanger of ingestion, rather than from external exposure. They do not penetrate very far, however, traveling only about five to seven centimeters in air, and can be easily absorbed by a single They can also be used to induce nuclear transformations that supply neutrons for laboratory experiments. Some naturally occurring radioactive isotopes such as uranium and radium spontaneously emit alpha Them useful for studying nuclear phenomena. High energies by means of particle accelerators. Because alpha particles are electrically charged, they can be readily accelerated to It is, in fact, identical with the nucleus ofĪ helium atom. Manhattan Project: Science > Radioactivity > ALPHA PARTICLESĪn alpha particle is a positively-charged particle consisting of two protons and
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