The three struts held a spiral of glass tubing that was terminated in electrodes similar to the terminals of a neon sign tubing; these were connected to the cable that led from the gear to the control box. Atop the glass spiral was a flat circle of aluminum.
"Radioactivity is a state of instability in the nucleus," explained Velikof.
Mangler nodded. Velikof had said nothing that could not be obtained from a fundamental book on atomics, circa 1935.
"The condition known as half-life obtains because of the statistical nature of atomic structure. Any single atom is not radioactive; it is only in an instable state in which it contains more than enough energy to hold it together. When it ejects this excess energy, it is radioactive only for that instant. Then it becomes a stable nucleus. But when a statistical quantity of such atoms are present—and any gross matter no matter how minute will contain a statistical quantity—there is always some number of atoms in the radioactive state of ejecting the excess energy. Some do it quickly; others take their time.
"In order to remove the excess energy all at once it is necessary to control the nuclear particles themselves."
"Which—up to now—has not been done," suggested Mangler.
"Right," beamed Velikof. "An instable atom can be considered as a billiard table with the balls in motion. The stable state consists of the balls at rest. In the radioactive atom, the balls contain a total excess energy sufficient to drive any one of the balls from the table but this excess energy is divided among them. Until the random motion of the components and the attendant transfer of energy from one to the other results in one component eventually containing this excess energy all to itself, nothing happens. Then, when this does happen, the ball has enough energy to leave the place—in other words, the particle is ejected."
"Fundamental," said Mangler. "But how do you control the nuclear particles with this equipment?"
"By inserting the radioactive sample in fields which work on the electrostatic, the momentomagnetic, and the mechanogravitic properties of the nucleus."
"This I've got to see," said Mangler.