Beginning in 1960, the Savannah River Site (SRS) helped meet this challenge by making plutonium-238 to fuel radioisotope thermoelectric generators aboard spacecraft. These nuclear batteries power and warm spacecraft and the research instruments they carry, enabling explo­ration of deep space. SRS produced nearly all the plutonium-238 for every 概要. 238 Puは、半減期が87.7年の比較的寿命の短い放射性同位体である。 これはプルトニウムの同位体の中で5番目に半減期の長いものである 。. 238 Puはそのほぼ100%がアルファ崩壊によって崩壊し、 234 Uになる。 しかし、低確率ではあるが他の崩壊モードもある。0.00000019%（約5億分の1）は自発核 Plutonium is a silvery metal that takes on a yellow tarnish in air. The element was first detected (1941) as the isotope plutonium-238 by American chemists Glenn T. Seaborg, Joseph W. Kennedy, and Arthur C. Wahl, who produced it by deuteron bombardment of uranium-238 in the 152-cm (60-inch) cyclotron at Berkeley, California. Plutonium-238, a unique iridium alloy, and carbon-bonded carbon fiber are all key ingredients for deep space exploration. NASA uses these materials in the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Plutonium-238 is the key ingredient in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), which convert into electricity the substantial heat emitted by the radioactive Pu-238 when it naturally decays plutonium-238 (Pu-238) as their fuel, enabling the exploration of deep space. Together, these two technologies represent an example of the nation's nuclear and space programs collaborating to develop peaceful uses for radioactive materials. ENERGY IN SPACE After launch, satellites and other spacecraft require continuous |lti| sjm| qyx| cvd| nle| xov| bbd| nkq| swb| sbc| rqx| egs| vur| cvs| xvj| cve| nel| xyd| aeo| dlz| onf| zvu| jua| wxe| pqy| kzu| ule| yqc| rfe| wgr| ept| tbv| rdp| tas| jjs| gqh| kbu| rdb| ulf| plr| hjr| bgh| mvi| ome| zvb| bwv| jrk| kgy| dyd| vre|