Re: Nitrogen in explosives

[Ronald Morgan <rgmorgan@Lanl.GOV>]

Wade, could you be more specific as to how you get C-14 from
neutron-activated nitrogen(presumably natural nitrogen)?  A quick glance at
the chart of the nuclides tells me that N-14 would be the most likely
receptor of the neutron, forming N-15 with (I've been told) a prompt 10MEV
gamma.  Even the N-15 that is present would become N-16, beta-decaying to
Oxygen-16 with (one of) the famous trio of N-16 gammas.

At 12:02 PM 6/21/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Group:
>As has been said, explosives can be detected via the neutron activation of
>the ubiquitous nitrogen in them. What has not been said is that nitrogen is
>also ubiquitous in other substances, e.g., cosmetics.
>When the excited state of nitrogen decays, with the emission of a high-energy
>gamma, it decays to C14. Thus, when one's cosmetics go through the airport
>explosives detection system they are made radioactive (deadly radioactivity
>to the press and to regulators).
>Subsequently one often rubs this radioactive cosmetic substance on
>intimate/sensitive parts of one's body. 
>If one wishes to follow ALARA, use such cosmetics sparingly.
>PS  Don't forget that carbon is incorporated into DNA.
>Wade Patterson
>
>
          **************************************
          Ron Morgan <rgmorgan@lanl.gov>
          Operational Health Physics (ESH-1)
          Los Alamos National Laboratory
          MS K-487, Los Alamos New Mexico, 87545
          Phone (505) 665-7843
          Fax   (505) 667-6116
          Voice pager 104-1787
          **************************************