3 ms·
About 94.6% of caesium-137 decays by beta emission, so any Geiger counter would have shown abnormally high readings.
by sam_lowry_ 4y ago
About 94.6% of caesium-137 decays by beta emission, so any Geiger counter would have shown abnormally high readings.
- gorby91 4y agoWould they not have been effectively blocked by the concrete wall the capsule was embedded in?
- sam_lowry_ 4y agoDepends on the position of the capsule in the wall. Also, this was in a 5-storey building, where load bearing walls are between 12 and 20cm. If there was enough beta radiation to cause leukemia, there was enough for the Geiger counter.