🚀 go-pugleaf

  ... absurd cross post noted; followups reduced significantly ...


NToone@oundleed.u-net.com writes:
>
>Are these serious questions or are you just having a laugh?

 Good question.  The newsgroups make one ask that question. 

} 1.  What is the half life of the isotopes present in
} newly formed helium?

>If it's He-4.....zero.

 Well, infinite.  Without specifying a reaction, the question 
 is meaningless.  You could make 6He, which lives less than a second. 

} 2.  Have Astronomers or Astrophysicists observed
} collisions producing fusion?

>The particles involved are pretty small!

 Still, some astrophysicists do laboratory experiments. 

} 3.  Suppose that pure sand (silicon dioxide) were present
} in sufficient quantities to form a star.  What would be
} the products of the star?

>A beach.

 No, he said star.  So one cavalier answer would be steel. 

 Presumably the intent was to have enough to initiate silicon burning, 
 leading to iron.  Possibly leading to a neutron star, nova, etc, 
 although that would require a real star, which is more complex. 

} 4.  What is the status of conversion of nuclear waste to
} non-radioactive products?

>It happens, in time.

 Almost my answer!  (Separate response to another followup that 
 appeared only in sci.physics and a few other groups gives details.) 

} 5.  Suppose the temperature at which hydrogen fuses into
} helium is five million degrees K.  

>Why?

 Yeah, not even a question ...

-- 
 James A. Carr   <jac@scri.fsu.edu>     | Commercial e-mail is _NOT_ 
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 Florida State, Tallahassee FL 32306    | for any reason at any time.