Re: pinhole helium

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From: Paul Doherty (pauld@exploratorium.edu)
Date: Thu Sep 23 1999 - 18:29:26 PDT 

Message-Id: <l03110730b41083dd6a94@[192.174.2.173]>
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 17:29:26 -0800
From: Paul Doherty <pauld@exploratorium.edu>
Subject: Re: pinhole helium

Hi David

Helium is mined from natural gas deposits.
Many natural radioactive substances in the earth decay by the emission of
alpha particles, helium nuclei. Natural gas underground, methane, is joined
by these radioactive decay particles. When the natural gas was brought to
the surface, the helium was separated.
I don't know how they separate it but one easy way to do it is to cool the
mixture, cool it enough and every other gas except helium will turn into a
liquid.

Paul D

Paul "But it is more complicated than that!" Doherty,
Senior Staff Scientist, The Exploratorium.
pauld@exploratorium.edu, www.exo.net/~pauld

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