000 01694nam a22001937a 4500
008 230616b |||||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
020 _a9783319151229 - pbk
100 _aSears, Wheeler M. "Bo"., Jr
245 _aHelium :
_bthe disappearing element
260 _aCham :
_bSpringer,
_c@ 2015
300 _axii, 138p.; illus.l
_bincludes references
440 _a Springer Briefs in earth sciences
520 _aThe subject of the book is helium, the element, and its use in myriad applications including MRI machines, particle accelerators, space telescopes, and of course balloons and blimps. It was at the birth of our Universe, or the Big Bang, where the majority of cosmic helium was created; and stellar helium production continues. Although helium is the second most abundant element in the Universe, it is actually quite rare here on Earth and only exists because of radioactive elements deep within the Earth. This book includes a detailed history of the discovery of helium, of the commercial industry built around it, how the helium we actually encounter is produced within the Earth, and the state of the helium industry today. The gas that most people associate with birthday party balloons is running out. ℓ́ℓWho cares?ℓ́ℓ you might ask. Well, without helium, MRI machines could not function, rockets could not go into space, particle accelerators such as those used by CERN could not operate, fiber optic cables would not exist, and semiconductor chips could not be madeℓ́Œthe list goes on and on
650 _a1. Helium
650 _a2. Mines and mineral resources
650 _a3. Chemical engineering
650 _a4. Geology, Economic
942 _cBK
999 _c9010
_d9010