Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/08/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sigh - not BILLION years. Geesh. Come on guys at least TRY to get some half-life information correct. Here's a Wikipedia article on Deplete Uranium. You can search for more inflammatory or more sanguine articles with Google or your search engine of choice. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium> As a beta emitter U-238's decay chain isn't too bad since, as long as it's external to the body your skin will block the high-energy electrons emitted. Taken internally, however, it's more problamatical but not nearly as nasty as the alpha-emitters whose high-energy helium nuclii can do serious damage. (The most common source of alpha emission is radon gas which is a naturally occuring decay product found from a variety of natural sources, not to mention the decay chains of fission products. In areas with lots of granite, for instance, having a radon detector in your home would make a lot of sense.) Adam On 8/8/06, G Hopkinson <hoppyman@bigpond.net.au> wrote: > Hang on Don. > This projectile has no magic burning through properties. It's all about > density vs cross section. Add that to high velocity and you have enormous > kinetic energy in the penetrator. The projectile will shed mass after > penetrating, plus the armour itself will add to the stream. It is also > pyrophoric so you would expect catastrophic heat along with the shrapnel > and > spalled armour. An extremely lethal shower of very hot sharp material. > Regarding the radiation, it may be relatively benign to handle as you > noted, > but the dust particles from a round impact are VERY bad juju should you > inhale them. That would be the least of your problems if you were sitting > within the target. Visiting it later would not be recommended either. It > may > well be very toxic within the next few billion years or so. > Regarding the chain gun, it is a different but allied design to the rotary > barrel "gatling" designs. The principle benefits are simplicity and extreme > reliability. > > Cheers > Hoppy Gunny and M9 Guy > > -----Original Message----- > From: lug-bounces+hoppyman=bigpond.net.au@leica-users.org > [mailto:lug-bounces+hoppyman=bigpond.net.au@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of > Don Dory > Sent: Tuesday, 8 August 2006 12:59 > To: Leica Users Group > Subject: Re: [Leica] [was] Another Altered Photo / now WAY OT > > Jerry, > >From a military perspective, depleted uranium is almost irresistable as an > anti-amour round. The uranium literally burns through armour without the > extreme kinetic energy generally required. Thus a 30mm chain gun can > become > a heavy tank killer. The military will not stop using it as it works too > well. As I understand the spent rounds are primarily a Beta emitter so not > that hazardous as radioactive things go. > > Don > don.dory@gmail.com > > > On 8/7/06, Haussler, Gerald R - San Mateo, CA <gerald.r.haussler@usps.gov> > wrote: > > > > Gents; > > isn't Depleted Uranium (DU) nuclear waste ? > > seems to me the Pentagon found a use for that stuff > > about 15 years ago. i thought they stopped using it, > > but i now understand it continues. > > regards > > jerry > > > > *************************************************** > > used nuclear waste ;-) > > > > Lottermoser George wrote: > > > > > Shipping? ; ^ ) > > > > > > Regards, > > > George Lottermoser > > > george@imagist.com > > > On Aug 7, 2006, at 2:02 PM, Walt Johnson wrote: > > > > > >> Sell it to the Saudis > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >