Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 15:55:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at keithlynch.net>
To: WSFAlist at keithlynch.net
Subject: [WSFA] Radiation meter
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

As I promised Erica, I dug out my old radiation meter, and installed
a new D cell in it.  It seems to be operational, but I have no way to
test it.  I'll bring it to third Friday to test her radioactive cat.
I'll also bring the manual for that forty year old meter.  (Am I well
organized, or what?)

I looked up iodine 131.  It's a 900 KeV beta emitter with an eight
day half-life.  It decays into the non-radioactive chemically inert
gas Xenon 131.  Since the radiation meter is meant to only detect
gamma rays, it may not pick up anything.  It's hard to detect beta
rays, since they aren't very penetrating.  However, the meter is an
ionization detector, so it should be able to detect anything that
can make it through the case, even if it isn't a gamma ray.

Does anyone have a weak gamma source which I could use to test the
meter?  If so, and if Erica gives her permission, please consider
bringing it to third Friday so I can test my meter.  Thanks.
--
Keith F. Lynch - kfl at keithlynch.net - http://keithlynch.net/
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