Dear Mr. Rod Radioactivisk and family,
As you and I both know, the natural disaster in Japan has been a horrifying occurrence that has devastated the entire country of Japan and has caused concern in many other countries around the world. Clearly, the original problem was the tsunami that hit Japan but as a consequence of the tsunami it ruined and wiped out much of the country. With the path of destruction that the tsunami left, the most devastating destruction came in the route of nuclear power plants. This is a cause of concern because there are now nuclear radiation issues throughout the country of Japan and surrounding areas. However, your family has absolutely nothing to be concerned about and I am here to explain and inform your family why there is no need to panic or make irrational decisions due to the issues that Japan is facing in regards to nuclear radiation issues. I would ask you to please sit back and take some deep breaths while I help to calm you by explaining why you have nothing to worry about, especially living in the Midwest United States of America.
In my college physics class, we recently discussed the issue in Japan. Along with the discussion we learned about strong and weak forces as they pertain to the basic forces in nature. In nature forces are everywhere and forces are always acting on our body. A weak force is mainly involved in the radioactive decay of various particles or simply the breakdown and a strong force is more so the glue that holds atoms together. A strong force binds together protons and neutrons to make a nucleus or center of an atom. These are two of the four fundamental forces that we experience in nature; the other two are gravitation and electromagnetism. The strong and weak force both play a role in basic forces of nature and more accurately the role in forces in the nuclear issue in Japan.
Of these four fundamental forces, two of these being the strong and weak forces, are used in generating electrical current in a nuclear reactor. The same reactors that you, as a family are worried about that are causing the nuclear radiation issue in Japan that you feel is affecting you as a family. Strong and weak forces are harnessed and very important in the electrical current in a nuclear generator. The strong forces bind together and create a nucleus whereas the weak break and cause the decay of particles in the reactor, nuclear radiation resulting. From these two fundamental forces being harnessed, we get electric currents as a result, which are the flow of electricity through the generators. In fact, heat can be used to make currents! Heat is used to make currents in reactors by being applied to such a substance of water. The liquid evaporates creating steam and then turns the system over creating a current within the reactor, full of such forces as the strong and weak that I discussed earlier. The ability of these forces to be harnessed allows for a nuclear reactor to have nuclear aspects such as the decay of particles done by weak force. These forces that are constantly moving and in play within the reactor cause work to be done on the system and this work is needed to turn over the system and help the reactor perform its needed actions, this work results in an electrical current in the nuclear reactor. Without this current from the harnessed forces above, no work can be done since there would be no energy input into the system.
For your ease of mind I want to discuss the three major decays associated with nuclear radiation and this issue at hand so you don’t have to worry about being affected all the way in Midwest United States and have a better understanding as to what is actually happening in regards to radioactive decay. The three major decays that we are concerned about in an incident such as this one are alpha, beta, and gamma decays. An alpha decay is an emission of an alpha particle which is associated with the basic idea that the nucleus has to many protons, thus what is referred to as an alpha particle is emitted or simply leaves the nucleus to reduce repulsion. Repulsion is the idea of two bodies that repel one another, and alpha decay reduces the repulsion of the two particles. Beta decay is more directed at the instability of the nucleus, beta decay occurs when there is an imbalance in the neutron to proton ratio. When this ratio is too great for the nucleus, beta decay occurs turning a neutron into a proton, and then electron. This end product electron is the emitted and referred to as a beta decay. The last, gamma decay, is concerning the basic idea of energy in the nucleus. Simply, gamma decay occurs when the energy of the nucleus is too high. Unlike the first two decays, gamma decay emits an energy photon. It’s not important that you, Mr. Radioactivisk, understand the molecular concepts of the above decays, it is important though that you understand why each happens on a simple level and that these decays in Japan will not transmit all the way into the middle of the United States where you and your family reside. Our physics professor made the analogy of these three decays into simple terms, where the grass is the substance in effect. Alpha decay is like a lawnmower on grass with much resistance and effect. Beta decay is like a golf ball on a green where it remains on path but gets slightly affected by the blades of grass with some resistance and interruption. A gamma decay is like the wind over the grass, moving it as it blows. These simple analogies given by my professor can be applied to the more precise scientific explanation that I told you to not to look to much into, instead think of the decays in the analogy terms.
Lastly, I have been informed that you and your family have gone out and bought iodine tablets in the attempt to help fight against the nuclear radiation as you thinking in it might affect you all the way in Midwest United States. A major concern in a nuclear accident such as this is the affect it has on us as human beings. Thyroidal radiation sickness is a major cause of concern, but let me be the first to inform you that there is absolutely no need to panic. The major fact is that this tsunami and resulting nuclear accident that is affecting the country of Japan is not close enough in proximity to affect the United States; in fact Japan is about six thousand miles away! The radiation sickness will affect humans, but only those in the country of Japan who are in the proximity of the nuclear accident. Another consideration to ease your mind is the half-life of iodine itself. When radioactive iodine is released in a nuclear accident, the body cannot distinguish normal iodine from radioactive iodine and cancer development can be the result. The crisis in Japan is dealing with radioactive iodine-131, which has a half-life of eight days. This is the time it takes to have the substance decrease by half of the original strength of value of the substance. By now, there is no need to panic because those close to the accident will be affected but due to the half life of the iodine, there is no need to go buy iodine tablets as it would be a waste of your money due to the distance and half life concepts I just recently discussed.
Containment activities have also been done by the Japanese. The main containment done has been by dumping sea water on the reactors of concern. Due to the tsunami, the reactors have been experiencing increased pressure and temperature and by dumping the sea water on this designated area, they can lower the temperature to prevent another major radiation leak from the reactor as well as providing more liquid as the warmer liquid is evaporating which may expose the underlying fuel rods. Exposing these fuel rods would cause a major radiation leak. Due to the preventative measures, distance, and half-life of the iodine, there are no worries or preventative measures that need to be brought forth as you and I both live in Midwest United States. Although this is a devastating crisis in Japan, we as country do not need to be concerned for our safety. We need to be more concerned about the safety of those who call Japan their home.
Sincerely,
Lucas Wilson
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