XENON

Looking for a topic that begins with the letter X wasn’t as easy as some of the other letters of the alphabet. I wanted to return to a more STEM-related topic, but X-ray was too easy. Xylophone, with a look at sound waves was a possibility, but that just didn’t interest me enough. Then I thought of the periodic table of elements and the chemical xenon came to mind. It was a lock when I began a re-read of Michael Chrichton’s 2010 novel Prey. Xenon is mentioned a couple of times in it, so that was my sign.

I enjoy novels steeped in scientific concepts, different than science fiction, although that can be fun as well. I read Jurrasic Park, another one of Michael Chrichton’s novels, written 20 years before Prey, and couldn’t imagine how the extensive explanation of frog DNA playing into filling the gaps in dino DNA would translate to the big screen blockbuster in 1993. But translate it did, although a Washington Post reviewer described the film as a “dumbed-down” version of the novel even though Chrichton was given screenwriting credit. But I digress.

The element xenon, symbol Xe and atomic number 54, is a colorless, dense, odorless noble gas. It is found in Earth’s atmosphere in trace amounts. As a bit of history, Scottish chemist William Ramsay and English chemist Morris Travers discovered xenon in 1898, shortly after they discovered the elements krypton and neon. Ramsay named the element xenon from the Greek word meaning foreigner, stranger, or guest. Coincidentally, name lists say that my name, Barbara, means “strange” or “foreign” in Greek. Had I known this before I began my research into this entry, I would have considered it another sign.

Xenon is a gas at room temperature. It glows blue when electricity is applied, much like neon gas glows in lights. Unlike neon, xenon lights can be used to kill bacteria. While xenon, atomic number 54, is inert, its radioactive form xenon-135 is a radioactive isotope produced as a fission product of uranium. With a half-life of just over nine hours, xenon-135 is the most powerful known neutron-absorbing nuclear poison. Back to Michael Chrichton, it was actually radioactive xenon-135 that got one of the mentions in his novel Prey.

Interestingly, xenon is used in headlights of some newer vehicles as it is said to provide brighter, whiter light than halogen lights. It is also more efficient and longer lasting. On the negative side, xenon lights are more expensive and can cause glare for oncoming drivers. Research shows that the 1991 BMW 7-series was the first to have xenon headlights as standard. Since then, many models have replaced xenon with LED, reducing glare.

Another light application, ultraviolet light, is being touted as killing coronavirus. Some devices using various technologies of this type are described as xenon gas lights, with some even robotic in nature. While there are many companies selling different lights or are willing to come to your site to do disinfection with their devices, not all claims should be believed.

And speaking of sales, like just about anything, xenon gas is for sale on ebay. You can find small sample sizes ($10.99 for a tiny ampoule) to a 50-liter cylinder ($2000.00 plus $75.00 to ship). Just out of curiosity, I put xenon gas in the search bar for Amazon, another of my go-to online shopping choices. It pulled up sample, tank, liter, bottle, cartridge, ampoule, and several other options. I hope these are all for legitimate uses!

So that’s your chemistry lesson for today. I hope you have learned something. I certainly did, doing the research. And now back to Michael Chrichton. I recommend his novels for those who enjoy science and technology mixed with intrigue and mystery.

IN CLOSING

Thanks for reading.  Looking forward to your comments and connections, both virtual and in person in the not too distant future.    Until next time . . . . stay safe and healthy and remember, the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. Next up—“YOUTH.”