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19, 1970.
Maren
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Pnerjy,Dart
on Atomic
> Conmittce
Then plutonium was regardad
Times have changesince May 1862.
ag a ratlitary saostauce and was accordingly givenlittle public attention.
oo
Nosy it ig much oul.tictzed os the energy Source of the not too distant
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earlier tradition, and the decision to speak was not an easy one for me.
I have had no regrets. .
For the sake of corepleleness let me give. you some background on
plutonium.
It is an clement that is virtually non-existent in the earth's
natural crust.
In the carly 1940's it was first produced and isolated by
Dr. Scaborgaund colleagues; --Dr. Seaborg is presently Chairman of the
Atomic Energy Commission.
Plutonium has several isotopes, the most
important being piutonium-205, which, because of its fisstonable properties
atid its case of prodiction, ts potentially the best of the three fission fucts.
fe
That is why itis of interest.
,
°
.
.
Aside from its fissionable properties, plu-.
toniuim-239 is a radioactive isotope of relatively long half-life (24,900
. years), hence its radioactivity is undiminished within human time scales.
When it decays, it emits a helium nucleus‘of substantial energy.
Beeause
of its physical characteristics, a helium nucleus interacts strongly witts
Wie matcrial along ifs path;
end as a consequence deposits ils energy in
Worebstively chort ci: tance,
~-about fourshunceedths ofan boetbitoeien in
Peeled tise.
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