Little help?

[baloonworld]

I'm trying to dumb downsimplify my reserch (Recoil decay tagging of Cs-112) for presenting to the general public (in this case, a royal bank of scotland manager), and I'm kind of defeated, because I don't know how ignorant the general public is about nuclear structure (My supervisor is even worse).

at preset my introduction reads:

It is presently of considerable interest in nuclear physics to study very exotic nuclei which lie very far from the valley of stability. These nuclei are difficult to produce and study experimentally, but recent developments in detectors has made this study possible.

Do I need to add:

exotic= containing may more or fewer neutrons than is normal for the element; unstable.
vally of stablitiy = the general trend for the relative number of neutrons and protons in a stable element.
unstable = radioactive.

Would it be better to drop "vally of stablitiy" in favor of somthig more literal ad descriptive?

Do you know what a isotope is?

Comments

[baloonworld.livejournal.com]

We do have physicists from other areas on the judging panel, but expect I can explain things to them without much trouble though. If I don't, I might have something to run past you two later.

[fourmyle.livejournal.com]

I have a third.

Hmm. Maybe refer to your stuff as unusual unstable isotopes? It should punch the correct star trek buttons.

or short-lived isotopes.

If you pan to use valley of stability, maybe a diagram.

Of course, your bank manager may not have done geography either...

[baloonworld.livejournal.com]

All the best people have thirds :)

[indigogecko.livejournal.com]

*waves another third-class physics degree at the rabble*