On 14/01/11 02:25, jimlux wrote:
Also, I already have it in the garage and does not feel overly scared by
it. I also have some Americum in a smoke-detector. There is also uranium
in the ground, causing background radiation.
yes, all true, but this is what causes my wife to worry that she will
come home from work and find a crew in bunny suits outside our house.
When I was an undergrad at UCLA, the local chapter of the Committee to
Bridge the Gap made radiation measurements on the roof of Boelter Hall
(wherein there was a decommissioned reactor) and discovered "bigger than
nominal background" . Their excitement was tempered when it was
discovered that the aggregate used in the concrete was granite from from
the local mountains, which has a moderately high concentration of
hornblende, and, hence has about double the usual background emissions.
Having had a party in Swedens first reactor R1, now de-commissioned
research and educational reactor, I kind of should have worried before.
Fact is... radiation wise it is one of the safer places to be, as they
have measured every square meter separately to ensure that it is only
background radiation left. They now use that reactor hall for dance and
music performances. Quite central in Stocholm actually...
We are straying too far away I fear. End story is that the small amounts
of Rubidium we play with isn't very dangerous radiation-wise. I worry
more about the fact that it would not be too nice to have direct contact
with it as it reacts hefty with water and the result of that isn't all
that nice. There is a thad of toxity too, but not very severly. I worry
more about the fumes from the PCBs I solder and the lead in the
solder... but usually not much at all.
It seems like suitable lasers for pumping Rubidium can be found cheap...
on ebay. Nice reference:
http://massey.dur.ac.uk/resources/pfgriffin/griffin_thesis.pdf
Points to Sharp GH0781JA2C, datasheet
http://www.chipcatalog.com/Sharp_Microelectronics/GH0781JA2C.htm
2,80 USD each on ebay... well, why not get some and play a little?
Cheers,
Magnus
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