Droning and its effects plus pollonium radiation.An image based on Luna E-1, the first spacecraft of the Soviet ‘Luna’ programme. Later Luna spacecraft carried ‘Lunokhod’ rovers to the moon. These were the first rovers to explore the moon’s surface and were powered by polonium.
Appearance
A silvery-grey, radioactive semi-metal.
Uses
Polonium is an alpha-emitter, and is used as an alpha-particle source in the form of a thin film on a stainless steel disc. These are used in antistatic devices and for research purposes.
A single gram of polonium will reach a temperature of 500°C as a result of the alpha radiation emitted. This makes it useful as a source of heat for space equipment.
It can be mixed or alloyed with beryllium to provide a source of neutrons.
Biological role
Polonium has no known biological role. It is highly toxic due to its radioactivity.
Natural abundance
Polonium is a very rare natural element. It is found in uranium ores but it is uneconomical to extract it. It is obtained by bombarding bismuth-209 with neutrons to give bismuth-210, which then decays to form polonium. All the commercially produced polonium in the world is made in Russia.
Droning:
1. A male bee, especially a honeybee, that is characteristically stingless, performs no work, and produces no honey. Its only function is to mate with the queen bee.
2. An idle person who lives off others; a loafer.
3. A person who does tedious or menial work; a drudge: "undervalued drones who labored in obscurity" (Caroline Bates).
4. A remotely controlled or autonomous aircraft with no pilot on board. Also called unmanned aircraft system.
Regards
Dr.Afshan Hashmi
www.afshanhashmi.com
www.drafshanhashmi.com
