MODES OF RADIOACTIVE DECAY

Nuclear Physics and Reactor Theory Volume 1 of 2
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MODES OF RADIOACTIVE DECAY DOE-HDBK-1019/1-93 Atomic and Nuclear Physics MODES OF RADIOACTIVE DECAY Most atoms found in nature are stable and do not emit particles or energy that change form over time. Some atoms, however, do not have stable nuclei. These atoms emit radiation in order to achieve a more stable configuration. EO 2.1 DESCRIBE the following processes: a. Alpha decay d. Electron capture b. Beta-minus decay e. Internal conversions c. Beta-plus decay f. Isomeric transitions EO 2.2 Given a Chart of the Nuclides, WRITE the radioactive decay chain for a nuclide. EO 2.3 EXPLAIN why one or more gamma rays typically accompany particle emission. EO 2.4 Given the stability curve on the Chart of the Nuclides, DETERMINE the type of radioactive decay that the nuclides in each region of the chart will typically undergo. Stability of Nuclei As mass numbers become larger, the ratio of neutrons to protons in the nucleus becomes larger for the stable nuclei. Non-stable nuclei may have an excess or deficiency of neutrons and undergo a transformation process known as beta (b) decay. Non-stable nuclei can also undergo a variety of other processes such as alpha (a) or neutron (n) decay. As a result of these decay processes, the final nucleus is in a more stable or more tightly bound configuration. Natural Radioactivity In 1896, the French physicist Becquerel discovered that crystals of a uranium salt emitted rays that were similar to x-rays in that they were highly penetrating, could affect a photographic plate, and induced electrical conductivity in gases. Becquerel's discovery was followed in 1898 by the identification of two other radioactive elements, polonium and radium, by Pierre and Marie Curie. NP-01 Page 22 Rev. 0

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