l
has on flora and fauna.
In the end, if it's a missile, we fir
e it,
record its performa
nce and bring b
ack the
pieces fo
r postmortem examination. A
ll test
data i
s reduced and the 
customer receives
a
full report.
For more
- information on White Sands
Missile Rang
- e or Trinity Site contact:
Public Affairs Office (WS-PA)
White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
88002-5047
Phone# is (575) 678-1134
Visit the Public Affairs web pages for
the mos
- t up-to-date official information
about Trinity Site or the missile range
at:
-
www.wsmr.army.mil
Use the links t
- o get to the Public
Affairs homep
- age where you will find
a table of
- contents.
This is a drawing of the patch which was issued to military p
- ersonnel who
participated in the Manhattan Project.
The background of the patch is blue to re
Scope of Course
-
present the universe. A white
cloud and a lightning bolt form a question mark which symbolizes the unknown
results and the secrecy surrounding the project. The lightn
-
ing bolt extends
down to split a yellow atom, which represents atomic fission and the expected
success of the test.
A red and blue star in the center of the question mark is the insignia fo
-
r the
Army Service Forces to which soldiers working on the Manhattan Project were
assigned.
Trinity Site
July 16, 1945
-
"The effects could well be called unprecedented, magnificent, beautiful,
stupendous, and terrifying. No man-made phenomenon of such
tremen
-
dous power had ever occurred before. The lighting effects
beggared description. The whole country was lighted by a searing
light with the intensity ma
-
ny times that of the midday sun."
Brig. Gen. Thomas Farrell
A national historic landmark on White Sands Missile Range--www.wsmr.army.rnil
Radiation B
-
asics
Radiation comes from the nucleus of
individual atoms. Simple atoms like oxygen
are very stable. Its nucleus has eight protons
and eight neutrons and holds together well.
-
The nucleus of a complex atom like
uranium is not as stable. Uranium has 92
protons and 146 neutrons in its core. T
-
hese
unstable atoms tend to break down into
more stable, simpler forms. When this
happens the atom emits subatomic par
-
ticles
and gamma rays. This is where the word
"radiation" comes from--the atom radiates
particles and
rays.
Hea
lth physicists are
concerned with
four emissions from the nucleus of these
atoms. One of these radiations is the alpha
particle which is relatively large and t
- ravels
fairly slowly
- compared to other atom
- ic
particles. Alpha part
- icles are composed of
two protons
- and two neutrons. They
travel
about one to three inches in the air and are
easily stopped by a sheet of paper.
Another radiation is the beta particle,
basically a very light electron that moves at
less than the speed of light. These particles
are more energetic than alpha particles, but
can be stopped by a thin sheet of metal or
heavy clothing.
The third form of nuclear radiation is
the gamma ray. This is a type of electromagnetic
rad
iation like
ed of light.
It takes at least an inch of lead or eight
inches of concrete to stop them.
Finally, neutrons are also emitted by
some radioactive substances. Neutrons are
-
very penetrating but are not as c
- ommon in
nature. Neutrons have the
- capability o
- f
striking the nucleus of another atom and
changing a stable atom into an
unstable, and
therefore, radioactive one. Neutrons emitted
in nuclear r