A ~ r i e Review f of the Use of Nuclear Particles Ronald DeLorenzo Middle Georgia College, Cochran, GA 31014 T o manv students and teachers. the concept of the pion is that or an ;mrnnKin;lrYpiirticle used tu rxpliiin ituniliry. They think that the I I I I>~ mllv. a h\,,,ul .. hvti, nl particle which hold; protons and neutrons together by zipping back and forth between these nucleons. However, the pion is presently being used experimentally to "cure" cancer at the University of New Mexico ( I , 11). Researchers at the University of New Mexico have been very successful in regressing cancerous tumor growth without the painful and uncomfortable side effects that usually accompany the more routine treatment using electromagnetic radiation. Insight into the differences and advantages of particle radiation (e.g., pions) over electromagnetic radiation (e.g., x-rays) can be found in a recent article comparing neutrography with x-radiography ( 2 ) . Positrons (not to be confused with pions) are the antiparticles of electrons. Positrons are antimatter, another idea that is skeptically appreciated by students. Positrons are being used, however, as a diagnostic tool for heart disease and brain disorders (3). Neutrons are used in neutron activation analysis, a nondestructive analytical technique, that has played an important role in forensic science and fur historical studies. For example, neutron activation analysis was used to investigate whether Napoleon was poisoned (41, to study the possibility that mercury poisoning was a contributing factor towards Newton's bout with insanity ( 5 ) ,and to develop the theory that a meteorite may have caused the extinction of dinosaurs (6,13, 14). An article in Chemistry International (5, 13 (1981) discusses additional areas in which this nondestructive investigation technique has been used. These include art forgery detection, moon sample analysis, ancient pottery manufac-
turing site determinations, deduction of ancient commerce prrciuus 111c~tillcmtenr in win.. versus routes, and H stud"
