[time-nuts] CS reservoir depletion

[Magnus Danielson]

On 14/01/11 00:18, Rick Karlquist wrote:
> J. Forster wrote:
>>> I'd imagine building a Cs unit might be a bit easier than an H MASER, but
>> not by much. Certainly a Rb is easier.
>>
>> -John
>
> Other than the "glassware", building an Rb is entirely possible
> in your garage, at least if you are a certifiable time nut.
> This is based on the HP 10816 mini-Rb I worked on circa 1980.
> It would be even easier now.
>
> The glassware is tricky only because you have to work with
> stuff that is more like fused quartz than glass.  This is because
> regular glass can't deal with Rb very well.
>
> The other problem for the garage builder is that one of the Rb
> isotopes is slightly radioactive.  Probably not OK to have
> in your garage.

To start with, Rb-87 has a half-life of 4,88E+10 years with negative 
beta-decay, i.e. an electron.

It has been judged very hard to accumulate any large amounts of it in 
the body to build up to a unsafe dosage... you would pee it out before 
it got there...

Also, I already have it in the garage and does not feel overly scared by 
it. I also have some Americum in a smoke-detector. There is also uranium 
in the ground, causing background radiation.

Cheers,
Magnus