Editing Radioactive decay (section)

===Szilard–Chalmers effect===
The Szilard–Chalmers effect is the breaking of a chemical bond as a result of a kinetic energy imparted from radioactive decay.  It operates by the absorption of neutrons by an atom and subsequent emission of gamma rays, often with significant amounts of kinetic energy. This kinetic energy, by [[Newton's laws of motion|Newton's third law]], pushes back on the decaying atom, which causes it to move with enough speed to break a chemical bond.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Szilard-Chalmers effect - Oxford Reference |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100548450 |access-date=2019-12-27 |website=oxfordreference.com |language=en}}</ref> This effect can be used to separate isotopes by chemical means.

The Szilard–Chalmers effect was discovered in 1934 by [[Leó Szilárd]] and Thomas A. Chalmers.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Szilard |first1=Leó |last2=Chalmers |first2=Thomas A. |year=1934 |title=Chemical separation of the radioactive element from its bombarded isotope in the Fermi effect |journal=Nature |volume=134 |issue=3386 |pages=462 |bibcode=1934Natur.134..462S |doi=10.1038/134462b0 |s2cid=4129460|doi-access=free }}</ref> They observed that after bombardment by neutrons,  the breaking of a bond in liquid ethyl iodide allowed radioactive iodine to be removed.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Harbottle |first1=Garman |title=The Szilard-Chalmers Reaction in Solids |date=1959-01-01 |url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065279208602563 |volume=1 |pages=267–314 |editor-last=Emeléus |editor-first=H. J. |access-date=2020-03-19 |series=Advances in Inorganic Chemistry and Radiochemistry |publisher=Academic Press |language=en |doi=10.1016/S0065-2792(08)60256-3 |isbn=9780120236015 |last2=Sutin |first2=Norman |editor2-last=Sharpe |editor2-first=A. G.|url-access=subscription }}</ref>