Controversy over uses of 178m2HF

178m2HF is an isomer of Hafnium or atomic number 72 on the periodic table of elements.

Hafnium is smelted from ancient beach sands that have undergone volcanic metamorphism. (link)

While 72HF is an element 178m2Hf is just a humble isomer

An isomer in chemistry is a chemical that has the same molecular formula as another, but it has a different arrangement of atoms. A similar relationship is that of brother or sister... you can only be a brother or sister to someone else.

The sibling of 72HF is 178m2HF and that sibling may not be humble at all.

Gamma Ray Emissions and Rapid energy releases are a few terms used in the description of a controversy over uses of 178m2HF.

72HF does have some radioactive isotopes but their half life decay window is relatively short compared to the half life of 31 years of 178m2HF isomer. 72HF's sibling has more energy potential in it than any other known isomer with long life. If this energy were released it would be in the form of gamma rays and photons of X-ray. It is believed that any energy explosion from 178m2HF would be a Rapid Energy Release measured in exawatts which operates on an exponential scale with a factor of 10^18.

A terawatt is one trillion watts. A petawatt is a thousand terawatts. Exawatts are 1000 petawatts.

All of these levels of energy have been associated to the production and use of laser technology. The first two are the measurments of current laser technologies and the exawatt is the goal of future generation laser technology - possibly a future very close.

Here's a few comments on the potential of petawatt laser technology that i found on physorg.

Petawatt Lasers could send a lightsail to our nearest star, with 1kg payload, in a few years.

Any idea on what material would be light enough to make the sail -and- withstand that kind of power density?

Anything is possible. But forget about petawatt laser technology and star searching. The controversy over uses of 178m2HF and rapid releases of exawatt energy which could make travelling to the nearest star a moot point for all but a very select few.

Who is at the center of the controversy over uses of 178m2HF ?

The Players...................read on.