Uses of Atomic Hydrogen
The atomic hydrogen torch uses it to generate very high temperatures near 4,000°C for welding. Hydrogen is a powerful reducing agent which eliminates the need for flux to prevent oxidation of the weld.
Atomic hydrogen determines the frequency of hydrogen masers which are used as precise frequency standards. They operate at the 1420 MHz frequency corresponding to an absorption line in atomic hydrogen.
NASA has investigated the use of atomic hydrogen as a rocket propellant. It could be stored in liquid helium to prevent it from recombining into molecular hydrogen. When the helium is vaporized, the atomic hydrogen would be released and combine back to molecular hydrogen. The result would be an intensely hot stream of hydrogen and helium gas. The liftoff weight of rockets could be reduced by 50% by this method.
Nascent hydrogen is claimed to reduce nitrites to ammonia, or arsenic to arsine even under mild conditions. Detailed scrutiny of such claims usually points to alternative pathways, not H atoms.
Read more about this topic: Nascent Hydrogen
Famous quotes containing the words atomic and/or hydrogen:
“One has to look out for engineers—they begin with sewing machines and end up with the atomic bomb.”
—Marcel Pagnol (1895–1974)
“The pace of science forces the pace of technique. Theoretical physics forces atomic energy on us; the successful production of the fission bomb forces upon us the manufacture of the hydrogen bomb. We do not choose our problems, we do not choose our products; we are pushed, we are forced—by what? By a system which has no purpose and goal transcending it, and which makes man its appendix.”
—Erich Fromm (1900–1980)