Evening star., 1950-03-10
New Radioactive Unit
Found in Atom Studies
Scientists Tell Of Work
With Vunudium so
By Thomas R. Henry

A new radioactive element existing in
nature has been found by Atomic Energy
Commission scientists.
1t Is a form, or isotope, Of the rare
element vanadium, silver grey, lustrous
metal which is used to limited extent
In steel manufacture and Is found
chiefly in Colorado and Peru
The new isotope is vanadium So the
fifth form of the element to be obtained.
Until the present work at the Oak
Ridge pile described in report by
David c. Hess, jr., and Mark H. Inghram
of the Commission staff, only one form
was known. This was perfectly stable
and presumably the same amount was
present in the world today as in the
beginning.
When pile bombardment experiments
were started three other forms were
produced. They were predicted and
were precisely what was expected.
Among them, however, were extremely
minute amounts of material with the
atomic weight and electrical charge of
vanadium but with half-life of 800
days. This means that half of any given
number of atoms would explode in this
period.
AACUHSIStcut WIN 1neOFy.
This was inconsistent with the theo-
retical picture OF what possibly could
have been produced by the pile bonn
bardments. which could produce only
short-lived isotopes.
BY series of ingenious experiments
Messrs. Hess and Inghram believe they
have eliminated the possibility that the
new radioactive substance is synthetic.
In report just issued by the Com
mission they are confident that they
have added one more to the extremely
few radioactive substances actually
existing in nature. The new vanadium
however. must be one of the rarest
materials in nature. The greater part
OF what may have been present in the
beginning presumably has disintegrated
in the past two or three billion years.
1t is so rare, in fact, that it would
certainly have escaped attention of any
body working with the element before
the present refined methods Of detect
ing radioactivity.
An ultrasonic "x-ray" is being devised
at the Naval Medical Center at Beth
esda.
Sound waves and their echoes are
being used to probe the interior Of the
body. Thus far the method has been
used experimentally in dogs to locate
and determine the density of gallstones,
it is reported by Drs. George D. Ludwig
and Francis w. Struthers.
A long series of experiments have de-
.termlned quite accurately the speed of
these sound waves through beef tissue,
human muscle and gallstones. Through
the first two this speed averages about
1,540 meters second. Through gall
stones the speed is greatly increased,
reaching as high as 1900 meters q
second.
No Damage to Tissue.
This ultrasonic echo ranging has been
used in locating gallstones implanted
both in the gall bladders and back
muscles Of dogs.
The waves used will penetrate through
five to six inches of human tissue with
out damage, and obstructing bodies can
be located quite accurately. Experiments
now are being made on the location
OF foreign bodies, such as iron frag-
ments. ~ =
There is a possibility, the Navy ex-
perimenters believe, that the method
may prove of value in location of tumors,
but long series of tests will be neces-
sary to determine the differences in
the speed of ultrasonic waves in diff
ferent kinds of tissues. A possible ad-
vantage over x-rays in diagnosis is that
the sound echoes give some idea of the
density, and hence the composition, Of
obstructing bodies.