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Z X A
Z+1 Y A
+ 1 + v + Q
e 0
Z X A
Z1 Y A
+ 0
1
e+ v+ Q
The Q value for + decay is given by
Q = (MX MY 2me) c2
(b) Proton Emission : Except for nuclei in a very high energy state,
proton emission is unlikely as the energy needed to remove a
proton is about 8 MeV.
(c) Alpha Decay : It is the phenomenon of emission of an -particle
from a radioactive nucleus.
When a nucleus emits an alpha particle,
particle its mass number
decreases by 4 and charge number decreases by 2.
A
ZX
A 4
Z2
Z 2D + 2 He
4
+ Q
Mother Daughter particle
Nucleus Nucleus
An alpha particle consists of two protons and two neutrons; or it is
doubly ionised helium atom. 6
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics
The Q-value of -decays is given by
Q = M ( )
A
ZX M ( A 4
Z2 D ) M ( 4
2 He ) c2
From Q-value concept
concept, we get
Q = KED + KE ..... (1)
From conservation of linear momentum
PD = P ..... (2)
From equation (1) and (2)
(2), we get
PD2
Q= + KE
2M D
P2 2m KE
= + KE = + KE
2M D 2M D
MD A 4
or KE = Q Q
M D + M A
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics 7
Electromagnetic Process (Gamma Decay)
It is
i the
th phenomenon
h off emission
i i off gamma ray photon
h t f
from
radioactive nucleus.
This occurs when
Thi h an excited
it d nucleus
l makes
k a transition
t iti t a state
to t t
of lower energy.
Let N
be the number off atoms off a radioactive sample at any
instant. If dN is the number of atoms which get disintegrated in a
small time dt
dt ,
dN
Rate of disintegration =
dt
According to the law of radioactive disintegration,
dN
N
d
dt
dN
= N
dt
where is known as radioactive decay constant and depends
upon the nature of the substance
dN
= dt 10
N
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics
Integrating both sides, we get
N t
dN t
N = dt + C N = N o e
No o
1
If t = ,
N = N0e 1/ = N0e1
1
N= N
e 0
T1/ 2 = 0.693
av = 1
A = dN = N = N 0e t
dt
A = A0et
A0 = N0
3 7 1010 disintegration/sec
1 curie (Ci) = 3.7
()
n
N = N0 1
2
p = N = e t
N0
Probability of a nucleus to disintegration in time t is given by
p = 1 et
One of the situation of interest is when radioactive nuclei are being
produced at some constant rate P by
p y nuclear reactions in an
accelerator or a nuclear reactor. 15
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics
Rate of accumulation =
dN = P N
dt
N = P (1 e t )
Solution :
IIn the
th reactor
t just
j t after
ft production
d ti off radio
di nuclide,
lid it starts
t t decaying.
d i Th
The
accumulation rate of the ratio nuclide can be given as
dN = q N
dt
N t
dN
q N = dt
0 0
t = 1 log e
q
q N
When activity N = 1 109 dps then
log e (2) ( )
t = 14.3 log e 2.7
1.7
17
= 9.55 days
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics
Example :
The mean lives of a radioactive substance are 1620 y years and 405 y
years for
-emission and -emission respectively. Find out the time during which
three fourth of a sample will decay if it is decaying both of -emission and
emission simultaneously.
-emission sim ltaneo sl
The decay constants for and emissions are 1/1620 and 1/405 per year
espect e y
respectively.
In this case effective decay constant for both decays simultaneously is
= +
= 1 + 1 = 1 year 1
1620 405 324
Let t be time in which the given sample decays three fourth. Therefore, the
fraction of sample undecayed in time t is 1/4. Hence
N = N0/4
N0
= N 0e t
4
log e 4
t= = 1.386 324 = 449 years 18
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics
Successive disintegration
Suppose a parent radioactive nucleus A (decay constant = a) has
number of atoms N0 at time t = 0. After disintegration it converts
into a nucleus B (decay constant = b) which is further radioactive.
I iti ll (t = 0),
Initially 0) number
b off atoms
t off B are zero. We
W are interested
i t t d in
i
finding Nb, the number of atoms of B at time t.
At t = 0 N0 0
At t = t N a = N 0e at Nb = ?
At time t, net rate of formation of B = rate of disintegration of A
rate of disintegration of B.
dNb
= a Na b Nb
dt
dNb
= a N 0e at b Nb (as N a = N 0 e a t )
dt 19
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics
Integrating, we get
a
Nb e b t = N 0 e( b a )t + c .....(i)
b a
a
c= N0
b a
Substituting this value, we have
N
Nb = 0 a e(( a t b t) .....(ii)
(ii)
b a
Now following
g conclusions may
y be drawn from the above
discussion.
1. From Eq. (ii) we can see that Nb = 0 at time t = 0 (it was given) and
at t = (because B is also radioactive)
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics 20
2. Na will continuously decrease while Nb will first increase (until
aNa > bNb), reaches to a maximum value ((when aNa = bNb) and
then decreases (when bNb = aNa). The two graphs for Na and Nb
with time are shown below :