"I call it the romance of nuclear physics." Zhao Zhongyao stepped back a few meters and came to Yu Hua's side, looking at the experimental platform with his eyes, and said softly.
In the dim laboratory environment, people can clearly see the blue light released by the natural decay of the radium substance in the glass bottle. The whole picture looks so beautiful and shocking, like a top-notch work of art created by nature.
Showing unique charm.
At this moment, time seems to have stood still.
Yu Hua stood there, his eyes quietly staring at the fifty milligrams of radium in the glass bottle, admiring this brand-new element that builds the ultimate weapon foundation of human civilization and the foundation of nuclear physics, his eyes were a little blurred:
"It's really romantic."
Deadly and dangerous blue light, a quiet laboratory atmosphere, a bleak environment, and streams of high-energy particles that are invisible to the naked eye.
As Professor Zhao Zhongyao said, radium, as a radioactive element, creates this dreamy and romantic atmosphere.
However, this kind of romance comes with death.
“In the microscopic world invisible to your naked eyes, these radium elements with an atomic weight of 226 are decaying and releasing energy every moment. The energy is transferred outward in the form of gamma rays and alpha rays until it decays into lead with an atomic weight of 82.
"
Zhao Zhongyao took advantage of this opportunity to start his lecture: "According to my latest discovery, gamma rays have an extremely destructive effect on cell tissue. They are the most destructive type of all rays. The principle of action is to destroy the atoms or molecules of cell tissue.
The electrons in them become free, causing these atoms or molecules to ionize, produce energy radiation, and cause cells to die immediately. Based on this, I think radium, a radioactive element, is particularly toxic, and it is usually forbidden to use your hands with it.
Contact, keep a safe distance, and use lead as protective material during transportation."
"For the rest of your life, you must carefully remember what I am talking about. Nuclear physics research not only has obstacles, but is often accompanied by dangers. Marie Curie died of leukemia due to long-term exposure to two radioactive substances, radium and polonium."
The toxicity of radioactive elements is extremely terrifying. During the natural decay process of radium, it will continuously release alpha rays and gamma rays containing high amounts of energy. These two rays are extremely toxic to the human body and are more toxic than any other.
A known chemical toxin is hundreds or even thousands of times more toxic.
After returning to China, Zhao Zhongyao used the fifty milligrams of radium to conduct various nuclear physics experiments, including experiments on the hazards of radioactive elements. He placed a piece of pork next to the radium. Twenty-four hours later, obvious burn marks appeared on the pork.
All the muscle tissue was destroyed, like mud.
"Students remember."
Yu Hua had a serious face and carefully memorized these precious nuclear physics knowledge. Compared with countless people in later generations who talked about nuclear changes, Zhao Zhongyao's knowledge from an academic perspective was more vivid and vivid.
As for the toxin of radium, Yu Hua, who studied high school physics, certainly knew it.
This is the most toxic substance among known radioactive elements in nature. Only uranium-235 and polonium-210 are more toxic than radium.
"Of course, regardless of dose and toxicity, the radiation dose of fifty milligrams of radium will attenuate 99% beyond a range of three meters, and the damage to cells is almost minimal. The radiation dose is strongest at a distance of 1 centimeter, and the contact time cannot exceed 10 seconds.
." Zhao Zhongyao continued to explain: "If it exceeds ten seconds, the body will be seriously injured, so you should pay attention to this."
Yu Hua nodded.
"Yu Sheng, do you know what the decay of radioactive elements means?" Zhao Zhongyao looked at Yu Hua and said with a smile.
Yu Hua was startled for a moment, shook his head and said, "Students don't know."
"The decay state of radioactive elements releases energy all the time. The energy generated in these atomic nuclei is much higher than the chemical energy generated by molecular chains, about six to seven orders of magnitude higher. The entire decay process of one kilogram of radium
The energy released is equivalent to two thousand tons of coal."
Zhao Zhongyao stared at the fifty milligrams of radium on the experimental table and said softly: "If we can find a way to use the nuclear decay process of a certain radioactive element to generate energy, it will have a tremendous impact on the entire country and the world, whether it is used as an energy source
Field, or as a military weapon, just imagine that all the energy contained in one kilogram of radium burst out in an instant. Calculated based on the energy of approximately 4.2 megajoules per ton of yellow explosive, it is approximately equivalent to 13,955 tons of yellow explosive."
The difference between atomic energy and chemical energy is millions or even tens of millions of times. All top physicists in the physics community understand the value of the decay energy of these radioactive elements.
"More than 10,000 tons of TNT..." Yu Hua was not surprised when Zhao Zhongyao's words came out. After all, this was something that was bound to happen in history. However, he was a little surprised. He didn't expect that Professor Zhao Zhongyao had invented the technology as early as 1937.
The phenomenon of radioactive elements decaying energy led to the conception of nuclear weapons.
Bombs that utilize atomic nuclear energy are the most powerful ultimate weapons in the history of human civilization.
Professor Zhao Zhongyao realized it so early...
"However, the physics community has not yet found a way to rapidly decay radioactive elements. Such military weapons and energy devices that use atomic nuclear energy still exist and are imagined. In addition, in addition to such weapons that use atomic energy, they can also
By using the energy generated by the annihilation of matter and antimatter as weapons, this antimatter weapon is more powerful than nuclear energy weapons. According to Mr. Einstein's mass-energy equation, the energy utilization efficiency of antimatter weapons will reach 100%."
As if feeling Yu Hua's silence, Zhao Zhongyao smiled, turned to look at Yu Hua, and said slowly: "Yu Sheng, after listening to these contents, have you become more interested in nuclear physics? I generally don't share this knowledge.
Other students."
Antimatter weapons?
Dear, Professor, your academic level has reached this high level?
Yu Hua was shocked. Looking at Zhao Zhongyao's smiling expression, he already felt the other party's intention. With a serious face, he bowed and saluted: "Thank you for your teacher's teaching. The student has been taught and now he is indeed very interested in nuclear physics.
"
I came here for teaching.
A nuclear physics course with almost zero-distance contact with radioactive elements.
"I can see that you have a top talent that is different from ordinary people. Don't waste it. You must challenge complex fields and solve the most difficult problems. Don't let yourself become mediocre." Zhao Zhongyao looked slightly serious.
Yu Hua was moved by Professor Zhao's good intentions and nodded seriously.
Zhao Zhongyao smiled and was about to end the class. Suddenly, there were footsteps outside the laboratory, and then, a figure came to the door of the laboratory.
The visitor is Professor Ye Qisun.
"Old Zhao, I've been looking for you for a long time. You are indeed in the laboratory and someone has come to see you." Ye Qisun entered the laboratory and after seeing Zhao Zhongyao and Yu Hua, he smiled and breathed a sigh of relief and said.
Zhao Zhongyao was confused: "Is someone looking for me?"
At this time, a tall white man wearing a suit walked into the laboratory with a peaceful face and a smile.
"Zhao, long time no see." Feng Karmen said hello to Zhao Zhongyao.