Radioactive minerals...
Jan 9, 2016 10:02:51 #
These are some samples of 'trinitite', which is a man-made mineral. Specifically, it is fused sand from the site of the first ever atomic bomb. It took place at Alamogordo, NM, and the code name for the test was "Trinity", hence the name.
Interestingly, they had no idea just what would happen when they set off the bomb... It could have fizzled, or there was an outside chance it would have caused a chain reaction which would have basically burnt up the whole of the Earth's atmosphere! They prepared a whole series of press releases covering various situations.
It is still radioactive, I am told, although not dangerously so - think luminous watch. I have a few small pieces - these probably qualify as true macro, in fact.
I am posting these by themselves, because they just don't go with anything else... An interesting piece of history, I think!
Interestingly, they had no idea just what would happen when they set off the bomb... It could have fizzled, or there was an outside chance it would have caused a chain reaction which would have basically burnt up the whole of the Earth's atmosphere! They prepared a whole series of press releases covering various situations.
It is still radioactive, I am told, although not dangerously so - think luminous watch. I have a few small pieces - these probably qualify as true macro, in fact.
I am posting these by themselves, because they just don't go with anything else... An interesting piece of history, I think!
Trinitite 1, natural light
(Download)
Trinitite 1, stacked
(Download)
Trinitite 2, natural light
(Download)
Trinitite 2, stacked
(Download)
Trinitite 3, natural light
(Download)
Trinitite 3, stacked
(Download)
Jan 9, 2016 16:36:53 #
Oh indeed this is an interesting bit of history, Phil! So glad you include the info along with your shots. Super shots and fascinating information.
Jan 9, 2016 17:00:53 #
Dixiegirl wrote:
Oh indeed this is an interesting bit of history, Phil! So glad you include the info along with your shots. Super shots and fascinating information.
There was an old book called "Day of Trinity", which I managed to have my local library order for me, many years ago. It gave the whole story of the Manhattan Project, with an emphasis on the personal rather than the scientific aspects. Couldn't tell you who wrote it, but it can't have been a best-seller, since this was back in the 70s when I read it, and it was already very scarce, only some 30 years after the event.
I do base my collection on 'interesting' stuff. Or pretty stuff, depending on my mood at the time. This stuff I bought at a show, but I go onto eBay every few weeks, and browse the short-time-left auctions, slap a few bids on slow-moving items. I have quite a few that are waiting to be photographed. Unfortunately, after spending most of yesterday and today setting up my new 7DII, it turned out to be broken and has to be sent back. I still have the old 7D, but the heart has gone out of it for me at the moment!
Jan 9, 2016 17:02:55 #
Jan 9, 2016 18:16:45 #
Oh no! I'm so sorry about your 7D, Phil, and I hope that problem is resolved soon. I understand the disappointment. I might try to find the book at Abe's Books. Sounds very, very interesting.
Bloke wrote:
There was an old book called "Day of Trinity&... (show quote)
Jan 10, 2016 08:07:18 #
Bloke, a lot of work in your stacking. You have a moment in history a fragment of the second Big Bang.
Regarding Nukes a book you may enjoy:
"We Almost Lost Detroit" a book about the Monroe Michigan Plutonium Fast Breeder energy plant. This plant was cooled with liquid, melted, Sodium metal. Things went well until one night ... cloud inversion weather... a sheet metal scrap within the system floated over and plugged the circulation. Like the China Syndrome disaster almost happened!! Plutonium is super toxic and 4 million in that area would have died!!
The inversion, mentioned above, well it would have held the debris of the sodium explosion low concentrating the toxic mist. Sodium reacts with moisture giving of hydrogen with sparks and flames. The Sodium forms Lye caustic with moisture. It would have been a spectacular event.
Detroit Edison says the "Fermi One" disaster never happened.. but it did.
http://www.monroenews.com/news/2015/oct/06/incidents-fermi-require-action/
The Book 298 pages:
http://wsrl.org/pdfs/detroit.pdf
The Lithium Bomb... was a super oops, the reaction did not go as predicted and it was a yield far beyond any predicted. Hopefully the Cobalt bomb was never constructed. You have a chunk of history Bloke, I bet you glow with pride, or is it not pride that makes you glow.
Regarding Nukes a book you may enjoy:
"We Almost Lost Detroit" a book about the Monroe Michigan Plutonium Fast Breeder energy plant. This plant was cooled with liquid, melted, Sodium metal. Things went well until one night ... cloud inversion weather... a sheet metal scrap within the system floated over and plugged the circulation. Like the China Syndrome disaster almost happened!! Plutonium is super toxic and 4 million in that area would have died!!
The inversion, mentioned above, well it would have held the debris of the sodium explosion low concentrating the toxic mist. Sodium reacts with moisture giving of hydrogen with sparks and flames. The Sodium forms Lye caustic with moisture. It would have been a spectacular event.
Detroit Edison says the "Fermi One" disaster never happened.. but it did.
http://www.monroenews.com/news/2015/oct/06/incidents-fermi-require-action/
The Book 298 pages:
http://wsrl.org/pdfs/detroit.pdf
The Lithium Bomb... was a super oops, the reaction did not go as predicted and it was a yield far beyond any predicted. Hopefully the Cobalt bomb was never constructed. You have a chunk of history Bloke, I bet you glow with pride, or is it not pride that makes you glow.
Jan 10, 2016 08:47:44 #
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