X-ray interactions with matter Essay Example

X X-ray interactions with matter Paper X-ray interactions with matter Paper This document presents the interactions of x-ray with matter. It talks about the five types of x-ray interactions with matter, photoelectric absorption, compton scattering, pair production, coherent interaction, and photodisintegration. Each of this x-ray interactions are discussed in a manner that it can be understood by the general public. This document also dwells on the various exposure factors involve in radiography. It also provides a brief discussion of the attenuation that occurs when a photon travels through the matter. X-ray is a form of Photon that is created when energetic electron interacts with matter at the atomic level. Photons end their lives when they collide with electrons and transfer their energy. Like other forms of photons, x-rays possess intrinsic energy that may be imparted to the matter they interacts with. Interaction takes place as either absorption (transfer of energy from the X-ray photon to the absorbing material) or scattering (in which the X-ray photon is â€Å"redirected† by interaction with the scattering material) (Connolly, 2007). X-ray has been used extensively in medical imaging which sometimes brings wonders to a number of people of how x-rays are able to penetrate solid objects and produce images of the internal structure. Photoelectric Absorption occurs when a photon hits the atom of matter and all of its energy is transferred to the electron which is then knocked out of its orbital. The atom becomes ionized due to the loss of an electron. The photon, which is a form of energy, completely disappears as it transfers all its energy to the electron knocking it out of the orbital. The electron is ejected from the atom by the transformation of energy from light to kinetic energy and begins to pass through the surrounding matter. The electron rapidly loses its energy and moves only a relatively short distance from its original location. The photons energy is, therefore, deposited in the matter close to the site of the photoelectric interaction (Sprawls, 2006). The energy transfer is a two-step process. The photoelectric interaction in which the photon transfers its energy to the electron is the first step. The depositing of the energy in the surrounding matter by the electron is the second step. The transfer of energy is depicted by figure 1 to figure 2. Figure 1. Before Collision Figure 2. After Collision Photoelectric interaction normally occurs with electrons that has relatively high binding energy. It is most probable when the electron binding energy is only slightly less than the energy of the photon. If the binding energy of the electron is greater than the photon then photoelectric interaction cannot occur. This is because the interaction can only occur if the photon has sufficient energy to knock and overcome the binding energy, thus removing the electron from the atom. Compton Effect Compton effect occurs when a photon hits the atom of matter and only a portion of its energy is transferred to the electron. The photon still leaves the vicinity of the interaction in a direction different from the original path of the photon. This is illustrated in figure 3. The atom also becomes ionized due to the loss of an electron. The Relativistic energy and momentum are conserved in this process1 and the scattered x-ray photon has less energy and therefore greater wavelength than the incident photon (Connolly, 2007). The photon that leaves the vicinity of the interaction may interact further with the nearby atoms until it looses all its energy or escapes the matter and goes outside.

How Napoleon Became Emperor of France

How Napoleon Became Emperor of France Napoleon Bonaparte first took political power in France through a coup against the old government, but he had not instigated it: that had principally been the plotting of Sieyes. What Napoleon did was to capitalize on the situation in order to dominate the new ruling Consulate and gain control of France by creating a constitution which bound his interests to many of the most powerful people in France: the landowners. He was then able to use this to leverage his support into being declared Emperor. The passage of a leading general through the end of a revolutionary series of governments and into an emperor was not clear and could have failed, but Napoleon showed as much skill in this area of politics as he did on the battlefield. Why the Landowners Supported Napoleon The revolution had stripped the land and wealth from the churches and much of the aristocracy and sold it to landowners who were now terrified that royalists, or some sort of comprise government, would strip them of it, in turn, and restore it. There were calls for the return of the crown (small at this point, but present), and a new monarch would surely rebuild the church and aristocracy. Napoleon thus created a constitution which gave many of these landowners power, and as he said they should retain the land (and allowed them to block any movement of land), ensured that they would, in turn, support him as leader of France. Why Landowners Wanted an Emperor However, the constitution only made Napoleon First Consul for ten years, and people began to fear what would happen when Napoleon left. This allowed him to secure the nomination of the consulship for life in 1802: if Napoleon didn’t have to be replaced after a decade, land was safe for longer. Napoleon also used this period to pack more of his men into government while debasing the other structures, further increasing his support. The result was, by 1804, a ruling class which was loyal to Napoleon, but now worrying what would happen on his death, a situation exacerbated by an assassination attempt and their First Consul’s habit of leading armies (hed already nearly been killed in battle and would later wish he had been). The expelled French monarchy was still waiting outside the nation, threatening to return all ‘stolen’ property: could they ever come back, such as had happened in England? The result, enflamed by Napoleon’s propaganda and his family, was the idea that Napoleon’s government must be made hereditary so hopefully, on Napoleon’s death, an heir who thought like his father would inherit and safeguard land. Emperor of France Consequently, on May 18th, 1804, the Senate – who had all been chosen by Napoleon - passed a law making him Emperor of the French (he had rejected king as both too close to the old royal government and not ambitious enough) and his family was made hereditary heirs. A plebiscite was held, worded so that if Napoleon had no children – as he hadn’t at that point – either another Bonaparte would be selected or he could adopt an heir. The result of the vote looked convincing on paper (3.5 million for, 2500 against), but it had been massaged at all levels, such as automatically casting yes votes for everyone in the military. On December 2, 1804, the Pope was present as Napoleon was crowned: as agreed beforehand, he placed the crown on his own head. Over the next few years, the Senate and Napoleon’s Council of State dominated the government of France – which in effect meant just Napoleon – and the other bodies withered away. Although the constitution didn’t require Napoleon to have a son, he wanted one, and so divorced his first wife and married Marie-Louise of Austria. They swiftly had a son: Napoleon II, King of Rome. He would never rule France, as his father would be defeated in 1814 and 1815, and the monarchy would return but he would be forced to compromise.

Safety management assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Safety management - Assignment Example In this case, ladder inspection checklist must be done; ladder is the safety tool used. Things that must be checked and counter checked include: the surface, level, structure, ground, working area, scaffolding, edges, hand grip, movement of equipment, manual handling, lighting, weather condition, footwear, and experience of the individual. The chance of likelihood of a falling and injury occurring must be considered. This method aids in determining which hazards must be dealt with first in the case of an injury. This is done by looking at the task ahead, the number of individuals, and the machinery to be used. Control measures must be implemented so as to increase safety and eliminate injury probability. The most effective method of controlling risk is by elimination, design substitution, redesign, and administration. The control measures must be carefully evaluated so as to avoid any potential harm (Roughton, James, and Crutchfield, 298). In every workplace, communication is an essential factor. Another essential factor is the credibility of staff as well as following of the OSHA and workplace guidelines. Safety functions management is essential in promoting the health and well being of individuals who work in risky environments. Under the first function of management, which is planning; a good manager must make valid plans. This means that the needs of the hazard workers must be considered, as well as the mission of the organization. Financial as well as the well being of the workers must be considered. This ensures that the needs of the department are met; funds are available, and time set aside to implement a specific plan all for the upholding of the organization goals. Under planning, safety rules and measures must be written down so as to enable better and safe working environment. Better management of safety comprises of organization function. The company must have a hierarchy of organization, where the CEO is active,

Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7

Euthanasia - Essay Example Voluntary euthanasia occurs when the patient requests to be killed while non-voluntary euthanasia occurs when the killed patient did not consent to the killing. Assisted suicide can also be classified as euthanasia when an individual provides information and guides the patient in committing suicide. Euthanasia by action occurs when individual actions like providing lethal injection leads to the patient’s death while Euthanasia by omission occurs when the care giver withholds important care such as provision of food, water and medication thus leading to the death of the patient (Tulloch, 1999 p 34). However, for an act or omission to qualify as euthanasia, the said act or omission should be intended to cause death to the terminally ill patient. The issue of euthanasia has attracted intensive debate with proponents asserting that euthanasia should be legalized since it eliminates patient’s sufferings. The opponents of euthanasia assert that euthanasia is a rejection of the value of human life (Tulloch, 1999 p 35). Proponents of euthanasia assert that allowing people to die with dignity and avoiding the terminal illness is good in eliminating human suffering. The Beneficence argument for euthanasia claims that terminally ill patients should be prevented from dying painfully and slowly by allowing euthanasia (Buse, 2008 p 7). Continued extraordinary care will stress the immediate loved ones since it just prolongs the death of the terminally ill patient. They assert that many terminally illness patients should have the right to choose when to die and avoid the terminal suffering. According to the argument of mercy, allowing the terminally ill patients to continue suffering is inhumane and cruel. The life of terminally ill patients should be ended through lethal injection in order to avoid suffering and pain associated with the extraordinary medication (Buse, 2008 p 8). Proponents also assert

One Direction vs 5 Seconds Of Summer Essay Example for Free

One Direction vs 5 Seconds Of Summer Essay One Direction and 5 Seconds Of Summer are both popular boy bands that are known across the world. 5 Seconds Of Summer is a rock / pop band , which consists of 4 Australian boys , Calum T. Hood , Luke R. Hemmings , Ashton F. Irwin , and Michael G. Clifford . One Direction is a pop band , which consists of 4 British boys and 1 Irish boy , Niall J. Horan , Zayn J. Malik , Harry E. Styles , Louis W. Tomlinson , and Liam J. Payne. One Direction was formed in 2010. While they were all competing as solo artists. At the British  X-Factor judges Nicole Sherzinger and Simon Cowell decided to put the five boys into a group. One Direction then signed with Simon Cowells record label Syco Records after being formed and finishing third in the seventh series of the show. Even though One Direction didn’t make it to the 1st Place in the group category in X-Factor , Simon signed them to a ? 2 million record contract at Syco Records . They recorded their first hit single ‘ What Makes You Beautiful ‘ which broke several records, and topped the charts of most major markets online and in stores. Sooner their album ‘ Up All Night ‘ was released in 2011 2012 including some of their hit singles like , One Thing , Gotta Be You , and What Makes You Beautiful. Then , their album ‘ Take Me Home ‘ was released in 2012 2013 and included songs like Live While We’re Young , Kiss You , and Little Things. And recently in 2013 their 3rd album ‘ Midnight Memories ‘ was released and included songs like Best Song Ever , Story Of My Life , and Diana. 5 Seconds Of Summer ( 5SOS ) was formed in Sydney in 2011. Their fan base increased  once again on Youtube , when Louis Tomlinson from One Direction posted the link to their YouTube video of their song Gotta Get Out , stating that hed been a fan of 5 Seconds of Summer for a while. The band was once again the subject of interest for One Direction following the release of their first single, Out Of My Limit, on November 19 , 2012, with Niall Horan tweeting the link to the video clip for it. On February 14 , 2013 , it was announced that 5 Seconds of Summer will be supporting One Direction on their worldwide Take Me Home tour. The tour kicked off at the O2 Arena in London on February 23 , 2013, and 5 Seconds of Summer joined One Direction for shows in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand, including 7 shows at Allphones Arena in 5 Seconds of Summers home town Sydney. While on a break from the Take Me Home Tour, 5 Seconds of Summer returned home to Australia where they played a National headlining tour, with all dates selling out within minutes. On November 21, 2013, the band announced that they had signed to Capitol Records. Seconds of Summer are currently  working on their debut album. To my opinion I like the band One Direction more because they are my inspiration. I found out about them before I knew about 5 Seconds Of Summer. I even got my family to get me their tickets to their up all night tour at Madison Square Garden. I also watched their X-Factor videos in 2011. So although these two bands have a connection with each other even when they have a whole different background they will forever be in my heart. Both of these two bands have inspired me in many ways you cannot imagine.

The Health Benefits of Exercise :: Physical Exercise Fitness Health

You know that famous saying, "You are what you eat"? Have you as the young generation of today forgotten this important rule? It is a proven fact that we are seeing more and more overweight people at younger ages. Eating too much fat not only increases the risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, or cancer, it is also the major contributor to those extra pounds of fat you may have added to your figure. Engaging in an exercise program can have dramatic effects on your weight and overall well-being. Everyone knows the many benefits exercise has for the body, both mentally and physically. And research has revealed what a great impact exercising at an early age can have as you grow older. Just as an example, exercise makes your bones denser, preparing you for a fuller, more active life when you’re older. Think of it as an investment. Invest wisely in your health when young. It is never too late to start. It is always hard to save money and refrain from spending the extra dollars, yet the outcome is very rewarding. You have to go the extra mile, do what others aren’t strong enough to do. Even if you eat well, as this is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle, is not good enough, you must exercise, exercise, exercise. And don’t look to pills and potions for a quick fix. No scientific data, to date, supports any of the intriguing claims of boosting performance or melting away fat. You aren’t going to obtain the look of an athlete without pouring out the sweat of an athlete. No one ever says its easy, because if it wasn’t hard then everyone would do it. You can think of the process of maintaining a healthy body to the making of wine. You first must put time and effort into growing a luscious arbor of grapes, pruning them just right. The benefits of this hard work is only seen after many years when you can finally enjoy a glass of the finest wine your sweet lips have ever tasted.

A Critical Evaluation of The Value of Play Essay

Introduction Play has a vital role in a child’s learning and development. Each adult has their own interpretation of what play is, but play can be interpreted as, ‘children being given the opportunity to use resources and facilities provided in order to develop their skills and expand their knowledge. This can be done spontaneously through imaginative play, and using communication to enhance their independent learning. Play can also be seen as a way a child learns and develops emotionally, physically and socially. DEFINITIONS OF PLAY What is play? Play can be interpreted as, children being given the opportunity to use their imaginative skills, to learn as well as develop their physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills. Play can be child initiated, or adult led, where they provided with resources and support in both situations. Play is an attitude that manifests itself in different behaviours. Gavey (1991) stated â€Å"play was a forward and backwaref 7cd movement where different levels of action, communication, and interaction are needed. It could be regarded as deeply serious and purposeful or trivial and purposeless, (Attfiled 2005). Similarly, (Molyes J) stated â€Å"play is without a doubt the most natural way children learn all over the world†. Babies and young children learn through interaction with an adult, who could be parents, siblings, other family members as well as practitioners who have responsibility of looking after the well-being of a child. However, Froebel stated, play is what children are involved with when they initiate a task and work is what they do when fulfil a task required by an adult. Bruce 2005. The role of an adult is entering a child play that is child initiated, and intervening to extend the play without interfering. Bruce Children need to play with objects and materials and resources in order for play to integrate cognitive processes and stimulate the imagination. The value of play Play is seen as the â€Å"only† way that young children learn and develop their social, physical, cognitive and emotional skills. Bruce(2005) Value of play A practitioner who understands the importance of play, offers children  freedom, where they are able to choose their own activities. * Gives a child freedom * Responsibilities * Child initiated * Adult led * Risks * Consequences Child initiated play Child initiated play can be interpreted as any activity that is started by a child to meet their personal needs and interests, Moyles J (2008). This can alos be seen as active learning, where the childis engaging in the activity they are doing. Bruner argued and put forward children require choice and should be able to make their own decisions in order to learn and develop their skills. For example in a reception class where children are of the age 4-5 years, being given the freedom of being able to choose any activity available to them and to carry out their chosen task or activity in their choice of environment can be seen as child initaitiated play. The adult has no role in the choice of play as the child has the control of what they are setting out to do. However the adult provides the child with resouces. Through child initaied play children learn to become creative through critical thinking. When having achoen an activity to arry out they start to make cnectuoins which transfroms their understanding. Howevr if a child does not understand or have the skill to carry out an activity and feels they want to, they tend to approach an adult who then supports the child by interevening. (BRUCE) the adult can then support the child by scaffolding (BRUNER) for example Similary Vygotakys stated in his theory a childs needs to be independent in order to learn, however a child still requires the adult to present to aide them when needed. For example. By allowing a child the choice of free play they are able to explore DEFINITION By investigating childen learn and are able to ask the adult questions where the adult will support them by asking open eneded question and providing them with encouragement.

Individual Assignment Essay

Determine which level of measurement— nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio—is used in the following examples. The Association of Accountants is conducting a survey to determine the ranking of the top 100 accounting firms in the world. Ordinal How many years did it take you to earn your college degree? Ratio On a questionnaire which asks for gender, males are coded as 1 and females are coded as 2. Interval Respondents are asked to rate a list of high-tech companies as excellent, good, fair, or poor in terms of their service delivery. Ordinal Cereal brands are arranged in an ordered sequence in which an equal interval exists between each point. Interval LeBron James wears the number 23 on his jersey. Nominal The length of time it takes the winner of a marathon to cross the finish line. Ratio Students are asked to rank computer manufacturers. Interval The brand of charge card used by a customer. Nominal The pin number used to access your checking account. Nominal Which sampling method—simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster, convenience, judgment, quota, or snowball—is most appropriate for the following examples? The unemployment rate is calculated each month by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey consists of 50,000 households in about 2,000 counties and cities in all 50 states. Simple Random A researcher for Kraft Foods selects five states randomly, and then selects 10 supermarkets chains within each state to call for a phone survey as test markets for a new cookie. Quota A new pr oduct researcher would like to investigate the use of virtual teams. After conducting an interview with a manager, she asks for the names of other managers that use virtual teams. Convenience A news reporter asks people on the street their opinion about the president’s new bill. Snowball Jamie select Denver, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; and San Diego, California as test markets for a new potato chip line base on her experience with these markets. Judgment A researcher instructs field interviewers to interview customers of different cell phone companies in a nearby shopping mall so that they each interview 10 AT&T, 8 T Mobile, 6 Verizon, and 4 owners of other cell phone providers. Convenience The Consumer Price Index represents a sampling of 90,000 items from 364 categories, chosen from 20,000 retail stores in 85 geographically distributed areas that are chosen to be as similar as possible. Cluster A finance professor wants to know how many MBA students would be willing to take a course in international finance this summer. She surveys students in the class she is currently teaching. Convenience Which hypothesis-testing procedure would you use in the following situations? The mean time an American family lives in a particular single-family dwelling is 11. 8 years. A sample of 100 families in the Sycamore, OK area shows the mean time living in a single family residence is 12. 7 years. Can we conclude that the time people live in Sycamore is significantly more than the national average? One Sample Z-Test A researcher would like to know if there is a significant difference in clothing purchases between full-time working women, part-time working women, and women who are homemakers. ANOVA Eighty percent of those who play the state lottery never win more than $100 in one play. A sample of 500 players was drawn and the mean winning was $125. One Sample Z-Test A drug manufacturing company conducted a survey of customers. The research question was as follows: Is there a significant relationship between packaging preference (size of the bottle purchased) and economic status? There were four packaging sizes: small, medium, large, and jumbo. Economic status was categorized as follows: lower, middle, and upper. Regression Hypothesis Test A company has 24 salespeople. The test must evaluate whether their product knowledge has improved or remained unchanged after a training program. T-test of dependent samples A computer company has a brand loyalty rating of 6. 8 on a 7 point scale. Is this company’s rating significantly different from the industry average of 6. 4? Two-tailed One Sample T-Test The manager of an office supply store wanted to determine which color folders she should discontinue based on low sales. The colors stocked were black, blue, red, green, and purple. ANOVA

impact of tourism in Gatlinburg Essay

impact of tourism in Gatlinburg Essay impact of tourism in Gatlinburg Essay Gatlinburg is a small town located just by the entrance to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and attracts around 11 millions visitors every year (The Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, 2013). Along with activities offered in picturesque national park, like hiking, trekking, mountain climbing, cycling, ziplining, white water rafting, back country camping, trout fishing and horseback riding, Gatlinburg itself has a great deal of man-made attractions. Tourists can visit The Ripley's Museum of the Smokies, Believe It Or Not! Odditorium, Guinness World Records Museum, Hollywood Star Car Museum, Space Needle, Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway (America's largest) and Sky Lift, the only one in Tennessee Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort & Amusement Park, Wastegate Wild Bear Falls Water Park, Christ in the Smokies Museum and Gardens and Mysterious Mansion (The Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, 2013). Socio-cultural, environmental and economic impacts of tourism 1.1 Tourism impacts on society and culture a) Discuss two negative and two positive impacts that tourism could have on the society and culture of your chosen destination as a result of an influx of tourists. POSITIVE Tourism in Gatlinburg could affect local communities in positive way. First, by organising cultural events and local festivals, aimed for tourists, which also can give the local people recognition and pride of their heritage. In Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community, hundreds of talented craftspeople and artists display their works: paintings, jewelry and pottery (The Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, 2013). NEGATIVE Influx of tourists can cause overcrowding and congestion in this town with area of 10.1 square miles and 3,944 residents (United States Census Bureau, 2010). It can lead also to rise in crime. b) Suggest how these negative impacts could be minimized. Problem of overcrowding, congestion, pollution and noise can be minimized by introducing outside town car parks. Tourists are advised to leave their cars on the parking lots and use public transportation – trolleys – 8 different colored codes

The Nominative Case - Learning Latin

The Nominative Case - Learning Latin In Latin (and many other languages) the Nominative Case (cÄ sus nÃ… minÄ tÄ «vus) is the subject case. There is nothing very tricky about it- that simply means that the Nominative form is what is used in a given sentence as a subject. When you look up a noun (in Latin noun is nÃ… men which is traditionally defined as a part of speech that names persons, places or things) in a Latin-English dictionary, the first form listed is the Nominative Singular. The same is true of pronouns, which stand in place of nouns and adjectives (modifiers of nouns and pronouns), both of which are also subject to declension. In English, some words are only used in the plural, but these are few and far between. The same is true in Latin. For the vast majority of Latin nouns, the first form you see in the dictionary is the Nominative Singular, followed by an ending for the genitive, and the gender of the noun. (Note: What you see following the initial word is slightly different for adjectives and pronouns.) Nominative Singular Example: Puella (1) Dictionary form: Puella, : The girl is good - Puella bona est. Nominative Plural and Paradigms As is true for the other cases, the Nominative Case can be used in both the singular and the plural. For puella, that plural is puellae. Traditionally, paradigms put the Nominative Case at the top. In most paradigms, the singulars are in the left column and the plurals in the right, so the Nominative Plural is the top right Latin word. Nominative Case Abbreviation Nominative is usually abbreviated Nom or NOM. Since there is no other case beginning with an n, it can be abbreviated N. Note: Neuter is also abbreviated n, but neuter is not a case, so there is no reason to be confused. Nominative Forms of Adjectives Just as the dictionary form of the noun is the Nominative Singular, so it is also for the adjectival form. Usually, the adjectives have a Nominative Singular masculine followed by either feminine and then neuter, or just neuter in words where the masculine is also the feminine form. Compare:(3) Noun: puella, -ae girl(4) Adjective: bonus, -a, um good This adjective dictionary-style entry shows that the masculine singular of the Nominative Case is bonus. The feminine singular of the Nominative Case is bona as was shown in the example about the girl (puella bona est.) An example of a third declension adjective showing the masculine/feminine form and the neuter is: (5) Finalis, -e - final Nominative With To Be Verbs If you were to use the sentence The girl is a pirate, both the words for girl and pirate would be nouns in the Nominative Singular. That sentence would be puella pirata est. Pirate is a predicate nominative. The actual sentence was puella bona est where both the noun for girl, puella, and the adjective for good, bona, were in the Nominative Singular. Good is a predicate adjective. Sources Gildersleeve, Basil Lanneau and Gonzalez Lodge. Gildersleeves Latin Grammar. Courier Corporation, 1867 (2008).  Moreland, Floyd L., and Fleischer, Rita M. Latin: An Intensive Course. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1977.Sihler, Andrew L. New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.  Ã‚  Traupman, John C. The Bantam New College Latin English Dictionary. Third Edition. New York: Bantam Dell, 2007.

Divorce Regulations in Great Britain Research Paper

Divorce Regulations in Great Britain - Research Paper Example One answer no doubt lies in what could be called 'the spirit of the age'. 1963 was, after all, the year in which (according to Philip Larkin) 'sexual intercourse began'. It was also the year of the so-called Profumo affair in which a Minister of the Crown admitted lying to Parliament about his relationship with a woman, and unprecedented press publicity was given to the surrounding events and rumors. (For example, another Minister was said to indulge in 'weird sexual practices' involving his appearing naked--save for a mask--at parties.) Lord Denning's exhaustive investigation into these matters (concluding that although there had indeed been orgies where guests indulged in 'sexual activities of a vile and revolting nature' and that it was true dinner had been served by a naked masked man yet there was not a 'shred of evidence' that the man in question was a Minister) did little to calm the fevered atmosphere. In the circumstances, it became increasingly difficult to believe that civ ilisation would be endangered by allowing the thousands of (often elderly and usually eminently respectable) couples living together in what came to be called 'stable illicit unions' to crush the 'empty legal shell' of an earlier marriage so that they could become in law what they had long been in fact (Castles and Flood, 1991). The massive increase in divorce associated with ...At a somewhat less lofty level, those concerned with the administration of the family justice system became preoccupied with avoiding its collapse under the apparently relentless pressure of divorce petitions. 1But even amongst those who firmly believed the ideal of marriage--in particular as a way of providing children the 'settled and harmonious life on which so much of their future happiness depends' --to be the traditional union 'for better for worse, for richer for poorer . . . till death we do part' there was concern about a lot of the hundred thousand or more people living apart from their legal spouses in stable unions to which the law denied recognition. The impossibility of legalizing such relationships against the will of an 'innocent' legal spouse denied many men and women (and in particular the children they bore) adequate social and financial protection (Ceschini, 1995).In 1951 in an attempt to meet this concern, Mrs. Eirene White had introduced a Private Member's Bill into the House of Commons, avowedly intended 'to deal with marriages in which the spouses have lived separately for seven years, but in which no hitherto recognized ground for divorce exists or in which one partner, having grounds for action, declines to take it and keeps the other partner tied against his or her will, generally for life'. The Bill did this by invoking 'a new principle, in that it looks to the breakdown of the marriage as the ground for divorce (whilst not prejudicing the right of an injured party to seek divorce under the existing matrimonial offense provisions). This was to be achieved by adding seven years' separation to the existing grounds for divorce.