Radiation, beta electromagnetic

When a nucleus decays and alpha radiation is emitted, the nucleus looses 2 neutrons and 2 protons which correspond to a helium nucleus. When a nucleus decays and beta radiation is emitted, a neutron in the nucleus is transformed into an electron and a proton. The electron will then be emitted as beta radiation. Gamma radiation is electromagnetic radiation which (as mentioned in section 1.1.4 Photons on page 18) corresponds to photons. Alpha radiation is often followed by gamma radiation. When a nucleus decays it often happens in a so-called decay chain. This means that when a nucleus decays it is transformed into another nucleus which then again can decay into a third nucleus. This happens until a stable nucleus is formed. In the following example we will look at a radioactive decay and the emission of radiation. 

This explains the predominance of radiation-chemical reactions as a means of initiating crosslinking in thermoplastic materials. In principle the effect can be induced by electromagnetic waves such as X-rays or gamma rays or by corpuscular radiation (beta rays) such as accelerated electron beams, for example. The differences between... 

Gamma ray The shortest wavelength and highest energy type of all electromagnetic radiation. It originates in the nucleus of radioactive isotopes along with alpha particle, beta particle, or neutron emissions. 

Beer s law The absorbance of electromagnetic radiation by a sample is proportional to the molar concentration of the absorbing species and the length of the sample through which the radiation passes, beta (P) decay Nuclear decay due to fi-particle emission, beta (P) particle A fast electron emitted from a nucleus in a radioactive decay. 

Whereas Table 2 presents some radiation terms that are pertinent to the following discussion, Table 3 lists the radioisotopes and their half-lives that are suitable to microautoradiography. Of the two types of nuclear radiation, i.e., wavelike electromagnetic radiation (X-ray and gamma ray) and corpuscular radiation (electrons, beta particles, and alpha particles) the latter are the most employable for microautoradiography. The reader is referred to Slater (20) for in-depth discussion of all aspects of radiobiology. 

Three main forms of radioactive decay involve the emission of alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays. An alpha particle is equivalent to the nucleus of a helium atom. Beta particles are nothing more than electrons. Gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation. 

Gamma rays are high energy electromagnetic radiation with very short wavelengths (10"111 to 10 11 cm). They penetrate matter deeply—on Ihe average much more deeply Ilian do alpha and beta rays, which arc charged... 

During radioactive decay an unstable atomic nucleus emits radiation in the form of particular particles or electromagnetic waves. This process results in a parallel loss of energy as so-called parent nuclide(s) transform into daughter nuclide(s). The principal types of radioactive decay are alpha (a), beta (ft) and gamma (y), as described further in Table 10.1 the SI unit of radioactive decay is the Becquerel (Bq), where one Bq is one decay (or transformation disintegration) per second. 

Internal transition involves the emission of electromagnetic radiation in the form of gamma (y) rays from a nucleus in a metastable state and always follows initial alpha or beta decay. Emission of gamma radiation leads to no further change in atomic number or mass. 

Composition Alpha particles Beta particles High-energy electromagnetic radiation... 

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