[Rockhounds] Ice question ?

[Gary Brown]

Somewhere in the back of my mind I seem to remember that cadmium sulfide (or
was it zinc sulfide?) fluoresces when exposed to alpha particles.  There was
a piece of paper in the old Gilbert chemistry sets that was used to show
that...  But then, I'm trying to remember something from 1962!

GcB

-----Original Message-----
From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Axel Emmermann
Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 1:28 PM
To: 'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'
Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] Ice question ?

I don't think it's the tritium that glows but rather a radio-luminescent
substance that responds to the decay of the tritium.
If so, the luminosity of the glowing part of the sight would be functioning
far beyond the half life span of 12 years. 
Far beyond the intended use of a gun sight too ...

Cheers
Axel