Steve:
Great Post. I have performed industrial radiography and have performed work with tubeheads, Ir-192 and Co-60. Here's some input to consider in conjunction with the LED's. It's a cut and past dealing with radiation and further discussion with black light below.
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Theory of X-ray attenuationA photon is an X-ray when it is formed by an event involving an electron, while the photon is a gamma ray when it comes from the nucleus of an atom. In general, medical radiography is done using X-rays formed in an X-ray tube. Nuclear medicine typically involves gamma rays.
The types of electromagnetic radiation of most interest to radiography are X-ray and gamma radiation. This radiation is much more energetic than the more familiar types such as radio waves and visible light. It is this relatively high energy which makes gamma rays useful in radiography but potentially hazardous to living organisms.
The radiation is produced by X-ray tubes, high energy X-ray equipment or natural radioactive elements, such as radium and radon, and artificially produced radioactive isotopes of elements, such as cobalt-60 and iridium-192. Electromagnetic radiation consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields, but is generally depicted as a single sinusoidal wave. While in the past radium and radon have both been used for radiography, they have fallen out of use as they are irksome radiotoxic alpha radiation emitters which are expensive; iridium-192 and cobalt-60 are far better photon sources. For further details see commonly used gamma emitting isotopes.
Such a wave is characterised by its wavelength (the distance from a point on one cycle to the corresponding point on the next cycle) or its frequency (the number of oscillations per second). In a vacuum, all electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed, the speed of light (c). The wavelength (y, lambda) and the frequency (f) are all related by the equation:
f = c / y
This is true for all electromagnetic radiation.
Electromagnetic radiation is known by various names, depending on its energy. The energy of these waves is related to the frequency and the wavelength by the relationship:
E = hf = h (c / y)
Where h is a constant known as Planck's Constant.
Gamma rays are indirectly ionizing radiation. A gamma ray passes through matter until it undergoes an interaction with an atomic particle, usually an electron. During this interaction, energy is transferred from the gamma ray to the electron, which is a directly ionizing particle. As a result of this energy transfer, the electron is liberated from the atom and proceeds to ionize matter by colliding with other electrons along its path. Other times, the passing gamma ray interferes with the orbit of the electron, and slows it, releasing energy but not becoming dislodged. The atom is not ionised, and the gamma ray continues on, although at a lower energy. This energy released is usually heat or another, weaker photon, and causes biological harm as a radiation burn. The chain reaction caused by the initial dose of radiation can continue after exposure, much like a sunburn continues to damage skin even after one is out of direct sunlight.
Here's the whole article -->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiography-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is some more laymen term input.
Visible light can be prismed or rainbowed and
Red Light is on one end of the spectrum and
Violet Light is on the other end of the visible light spectrum.
On the Red End, if you go a little bit further you get micro waves. On the Violet End, you have "Black Light" then you get into your invisible light called x or gamma radiation that can shine through bone, metal and concrete and develop film just like natural light develops film using a photagraphic camera.
I have also used "high intensity" black lights to perform different types of fluorescent inspections. About 10 years ago I had to quit doing the black light work. If I didn't, I would have started getting cataracts in my eyes. I reached my personal threshold with this stuff when one day I briefly looked at the light and it gave me an instant migrane. Protection with the gamma ray sources was via personal dosimetry, film badges, survey meters (geiger counters) and the old rule "double the distance and 1/4 the intensity" or "run away"
It's called the inverse square law. This is where it gets really interesting in regards to what we are all attempting with Hydrogen production.
See -->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_lawLuckily we don't have the real serious type health consequenses with black light and it's close to and works with the same principles as gamma and x-rays. My point...
Intensity is substantially increased by reducing the distance.Also thanks for the info on the 350 Chevy, Haroldcr. Now I know what I have to make and produce.
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