Gammator
Encyclopedia
A Gammator was a gamma irradiator made by the Radiation Machinery Corporation during the U.S. Atoms for Peace
project of the 1950s and 1960s. The gammator was distributed by the "Atomic Energy Commission
to schools, hospitals, and private firms to promote nuclear understanding." Around 120-140 Gammators were distributed throughout the U.S. and the whereabouts of several of them are unknown, although the Department of Energy
has removed and destroyed many of the units.
in a pellet roughly the size of a pen.
.
Atoms for Peace
"Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953....
project of the 1950s and 1960s. The gammator was distributed by the "Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
to schools, hospitals, and private firms to promote nuclear understanding." Around 120-140 Gammators were distributed throughout the U.S. and the whereabouts of several of them are unknown, although the Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
has removed and destroyed many of the units.
Specifications
A Gammator weighed about 1,850 pounds and contained about 400 curies of caesium-137Caesium-137
Caesium-137 is a radioactive isotope of caesium which is formed as a fission product by nuclear fission.It has a half-life of about 30.17 years, and decays by beta emission to a metastable nuclear isomer of barium-137: barium-137m . Caesium-137 is a radioactive isotope of caesium which is formed...
in a pellet roughly the size of a pen.
Concerns
Because of the massive shielding of a Gammator, the machine is very safe when used as intended (e.g. school science experiments); according to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, it is similar to machines used to irradiate blood. However, this amount of nuclear material could pose a significant problem if used as the radioactive component in a dirty bombDirty bomb
A dirty bomb is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the explosion with radioactive material, hence the attribute "dirty"....
.