Re: Bismuth breaks half-life record

["Jerry Cohen" <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>]

I am not a nuclear physicist , but have discussed the matter with people who

are. I do not know the mechanism, but as I understand it, there is little

question that the proton does decay. The big unknown is - what is the proton

half-life? It has been estimated to be ~10^31 years, but that would be hard

to verify experimentally. If this estimate is valid, the decay rate is about

1.0 disintegration/mole/million years. One would need to be very patient to

observe such an occurrence.





----- Original Message -----

From: John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>

To: Jerry Cohen <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>; Dan Hoffman

<dhoffman@pangea-group.com>; John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>; radsafe

<radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Sent: Friday, April 25, 2003 12:01 PM

Subject: Re: Bismuth breaks half-life record





> And if the proton does not decay . . .?

>

> --- Jerry Cohen <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET> wrote:

> >

> > It is hard for me to conceive of anything with a

> > half-life of ~10^19 years

> > as "radioactive". Given enough time, all matter will

> > eventually decay, since

> > the proton itself is reputed to decay with have a

> > half-life of  ~10^31yr.

> . . .

>

>

> =====

> -- John

> John Jacobus, MS

> Certified Health Physicist

> e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com

>

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