GS02-1093 - Introduction to Medical Physics I

Basic Interactions
Problem Set 2.1 Solutions

1. In the radioactive decay of 226Ra, how much kinetic energy is imparted to the recoil
nucleus? (Hint: Recall your basic conservation laws from freshman physics.)

Let Q be the transition energy of the decay process (Q=4.78 MeV). Let M and V
be the mass and velocity of the recoil nucleus, and m and v be the mass and
velocity of the alpha particle. Then, from freshman physics, we know that the
transition energy goes into kinetic energy of both the recoil nucleus and the alpha
particle. Thus

1 1
Q MV 2 mv 2 .
2 2

The other equation we need is the conservation of momentum,

MV mv ,

or,

mv
V .
M

Substituting this value for V in the energy conservation equation, we have

1 m 2v 2 1 2
Q M mv
2 M2 2
1 m
mv 2 1 ,
2 M
m
E 1
M

where E is the kinetic energy of the alpha particle. Solving for E, we have

Q
E
m
1
M

The kinetic energy of the recoil nucleus is then


1
Q E Q 1
1 m

M
m
1 1
Q M
1 m

M
1
m m
Q 1
M M

The ratio of the mass of an alpha particle to that of a 222Rn nucleus is

approximately 4/222 = 0.0180, so that the energy imparted to the recoil nucleus is
given by

Q E 4.78 0.01801.018 MeV

1

8.46 10-2 MeV

2. (J & C 3-2) Radium has a half-life of 1620 y. A radium source contains 1 mg of

radium. The mass number is 226, and Avogadros number is 6.02 1023. Find the
transformation constant for radium and the activity in Bq and mCi.

0.693

t 12
0.693

1620 yr
4.28 10 4 yr-1
1.356 10 11 sec -1

A N
yr day hr g mole atom
4.28 10 4 yr-1 1 mg 10-3 6.02 10 23
365 day 24 hr 3600 sec mg 226 g mole
atom
3.61107
sec
3.6110 Bq
7

Ci
3.61 107 Bq
3.7 1010 Bq
0.976 10 3 Ci
0.976 mCi
3. (J & C 3-4) 131I has a half-life of 8.06 d. Find the mean life and the transformation
constant. A source of iodine has an activity of 2.5 mCi. Find the activity after 12
days. Express your answer in mCi and Bq.

t avg 1.44 t 12
1.44 8.06 day
11.6 day
1

t avg
1

11.6 day
8.62 10 2 day -1
9.98 10 7 sec -1

A A0 e t
2.5 mCi e -8.6210 12
-2

2.5 e 1.03 mCi

0.893 mCi
Ci Bq
0.893 mCi 10 -3 3.7 1010
mCi Ci
3.30 10 7 Bq
4. (J & C 3-6) A source of 198Au with initial activity 10.0 103 Bq is used on a mold
and worn by a patient for 5 days. Find the emitted radiation.
198
The half-life of Au is 2.69 days, so the transformation constant is 0.693/2.69 =
0.258 day-1.
t
dN
N
0
dt
dt

t
At dt
0
t
A0 e t dt
0

A0 T
e t
0

A0

1 e T

1.0 10 4 sec -1 24 hr 3600 sec

0.258 day -1

day

hr

1 e 0.2585
3.35 109 1 0.275
2.43 109 disintegra tions

5. (J & C 3-8) The mass of 64Cu is 63.9297568 amu. In a + decay, it is converted into
64
Ni with mass of 63.927956. Find the maximum energy of the + particle.

E = (63.9297568 63.927956) amu

= 0.00180 amu 931 MeV/amu

= 1.677 MeV

Subtracting the 1.022 MeV threshold energy gives us a maximum + energy of 0.655
MeV.
6. (J & C 3-14) After 100 disintegrations of a source of 22Na embedded in a small
sample of tissue, estimate the energy deposited assuming all gammas escape and that
the fluorescent yield is zero. Assume the mean energy of the + is 1/3 the maximum.

For every 100 disintegrations of 22Na we produce 90 + with a maximum energy of

0.54 MeV and 10 characteristic x-rays. If we assume the fluorescent yield is 0, then
we can ignore the characteristic x-rays. The energy deposited is then

1
E 90 0.54 M eV
3
16.2 M eV

7. (J & C 3-18) 90Rb is a fission fragment with mass 89.91487 amu. Determine the total
energy released in the decay of 1 mCi of this isotope into 90Zr whose mass is
89.9047105 amu.
90
Rb decays to form 90Zr with the emission of 3-
(See, for example, the following URL:
http://periodictable.com/Isotopes/037.90/index.html)
90
Rb has a half-life of 2.7 min
(See, for example, the following URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_rubidium),
which is equivalent to a transformation constant of 0.693/2.7 = 0.257 min-1 = 4.28
10-3 sec-1.
So, 1 mCi = 3.7 107 disintegrations sec-1 / 4.28 10-3 sec-1 = 0.864 1010
disintegrations.

For each disintegration

E = (89.91487 89.9047105) amu

= 0.01016 amu 931 MeV/amu

= 9.459 MeV

Total energy released = 9.459 0.864 1010 = 8.17 1010 MeV

8. 223
Ra decays by emission with 4 s with the following energy spectrum:

219
E=5.745
E=5.714
Rn MeV Frequency

Energy (MeV)
5.537 9%
5.605 26%
5.714 54%
5.745 9%
a. What isotope does the 223Ra decay to?

In decay, the atomic number is reduced by 2 and the mass number is

reduced by 4. Reducing the atomic number by 2 gives us Rn; consequently
the decay product is 219Rn.

b. Sketch the energy level diagram (assuming one goes to the ground state of
the daughter).

223
Ra
E=5.537 MeV

E=5.605 MeV

E=5.714 MeV

E=5.745 MeV
219
Rn

c. List the possible rays that could be emitted.

Possible ray energies are as follows:

5.745 5.714 = 0.031 MeV
5.745 5.605 = 0.140 MeV
5.745 5.537 = 0.208 MeV
5.714 5.605 = 0.109 MeV
5.714 5.537 = 0.177 MeV
5.605 5.537 = 0.068 MeV
9. Given the following decay data for 22Na and 59Fe:

a. Draw the energy level diagram for the decay of 22Na and of 59Fe.

Account for all s (ignoring the weak s).

Account for all s.
Diagram any competing processes.
22
Na decays via + and electron capture. It is proton-rich, so it will decay to
22
Ne. Because a ray is emitted, the decay is to an excited state of 22Ne.

22
Na

2m0c2
EC

22
Ne

The that is emitted is a +. The only emitted comes from the decay of the
excited state 22Ne. The competing processes are + emission and electron
capture.
 59
Fe decays via - emission to a ground state and three excited states of 59Co.

59
Fe

59
Co

The four s represent decay from the parent 59Fe to the ground and three
excited states of the daughter 59Co. The five s are decays from the various
excited states to excited states of lower energy or the ground state.

b. How could the daughter of the 59Fe decay be used in radiation therapy?

The daughter of 59Fe is 59Co, which can be irradiated in a nuclear reactor to

produce 60Co, which is used in radiation therapy.

c. What is the fluorescent yield of the 22Na decay?

# of x rays emitted
fluorescen t yield
# of K - shell vacancies
0.012

9.2 0.012
1.30 10 3

d. On average, how many 0.511 MeV photons result per disintegration of 22Na?

Two 0.511 MeV photons will be emitted from the annihilation of each +.
Each disintegration of 22Na produces 0.8984 +, and hence 1.80 photons.
 e. What is the total energy difference between 22Na and its daughter?

E Emax 2m0 c 2 E
454.5 1022 1274.54 keV
2.75 MeV

Nuclear Decay Data

Na + decay (half-life 2.602 y)

22

Radiation type Energy (keV) Intensity

Auger K 0.82 9.2%
+
Max 454.5 89.84%
Weak s omitted (<0.06%) Avg 215.54
K x-ray 0.84 0.012%
ray 1274.54 99.94%

Fe - decay (half-life 44.529 d)

59

Radiation type Energy (keV) Intensity

-1
-
Max 130.8 1.27%
Avg 35.8
-2
-
Max 273.4 45.6%
Avg 80.8
-3
-
Max 465.8 52.8%
Avg 149.3
-4
-
Max 1565.0 0.18%
Avg 635.8
Total (Weak ignored)
- -
Avg 117.4 99.9%
-1 142.648 1.00%
-2 192.344 3.00%
-3 334.80 0.27%
-4 1099.24 56.1%
-5 1291.56 43.6%