radioisotope machine
[APPENDIX]
Some other important atomic pioneers:
Chadwick, James: Discovered the neutron in 1932.
Joliot-Curie, Irene and Frederic: Daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie, and her husband. Were the first to make artificial radioisotopes in 1933.
Rutherford, Ernest: Worked out the nature of radioactivity in 1902, discovered the nucleus of the atom in 1911, and split the first atom in 1919.
Soddy, Frederic: Discovered isotopes in 1910.
Urey, Harold: Discovered hydrogen's heavy isotope, deuterium, in 1932.
[GLOSSARY]
| AEC | Atomic Energy Commission (U.S.) All atomic energy in the United States is under the control of the AEC. The Commission is in charge of the sources, manufacture, and uses of all fissionable materials. It has important programs of research, building, training, and information. |
| artificial element | A chemical element that does not exist in nature but which can be made in an atomic reactor. |
| atomic furnace | An atomic reactor. |
| canal | A tank of water which is used to hold dangerously radioactive materials in order to protect workers. |
| coffin | A thick metal box which is used to hold very radioactive material. |
| contaminated | Anything that has accidentally become radioactive. |
| cool off | To stop being radioactive. Some materials have to cool off before they can be handled safely. |
| critical size | The smallest amount of atomic fuel that will allow a chain reaction to take place. |
| curie | The unit used to measure radiation. It is equal to the amount of radiation given off by one gram of radium in one second. |
| Einstein, Albert | (1879-1955), born in Germany, fled under Hitler, and became an American citizen in 1940. In 1955 he published a brilliant theory which became the basis for the discovery of atomic energy. The theory stated that neither matter nor energy can ever be destroyed, but that matter can be changed into energy. Einstein expressed this in the equation E = mc^2. It means that energy (E) is equal to mass (m) multiplied by the speed of light (c), multiplied by itself. Mass is the amount of material or matter in anything. The speed of light is 186,000 miles a second. |
| emit | To give off. Radioactive substances emit rays. |
| enriched uranium | Ordinary uranium which has fissionable uranium added to it. |
| fissionable | Usable as an atomic fuel. A material whose atoms will split. |
| fusion | A source of atomic energy which is the opposite of fission. Instead of nuclei being split, they are forced together. The energy of the sun is released by fusion. |
| hot | Radioactive. |
| moderator | A material which is used in an atomic reactor to slow down the speed of the neutrons. Graphite and water are common moderators. |
| nuclear energy | The correct name for energy produced by changes in atomic nuclei. Atomic energy is the common name for nuclear energy. |
| pig | Heavy metal container for radioactive material. Similar to coffin. |
| pitchblende | The ore richest in uranium. |
| remote manipulator | A device that can handle radioactive materials mechanically while the operator remains safe behind a shield. (Also called a master slave manipulator.) |
| scram | To stop an atomic reactor. An emergency stop is called a fast scram. |
| transmute | To change one kind of atom into another kind. |