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Nuclear Physics Part 2 PDF
Nuclear Physics Part 2 PDF
Nuclear Physics Part 2 PDF
Z X A
⎯→ Z+1 Y A
+ –1 + v + Q
e 0
Z X A
⎯→ Z–1 Y A
+ 0
–1
e+ v+ Q
The Q value for β+ 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 α-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
Z–2
Z 2D + 2 He
4
+ Q
Mother Daughter α − 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 α-decays is given by
Q = ⎡⎣ M ( )
A
ZX –M ( A –4
Z–2 D ) –M ( 4
2 He ) ⎤ c2
⎦
From Q-value concept
concept, we get
Q = KED + KEα ..... (1)
From conservation of linear momentum
PD = Pα ..... (2)
From equation (1) and (2)
(2), we get
PD2
Q= + KEα
2M D
MD ⎛ A – 4⎞
or KEα = Q≈ Q
M D + Mα ⎝ 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
= – λN
dt
where ‘λ’ is known as ‘radioactive decay constant’ and depends
upon the nature of the substance
dN
= – λ dt 10
N
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics
Integrating both sides, we get
N t
dN – λt
∫ N ∫= λ dt + C ⇒ N = N o e
No o
1
If t = ,
λ
N = N0e–λ × 1/λ = N0e–1
1
N= N
e 0
T1/ 2 = 0.693
λ
τ av = 1
λ
A = dN = – λ N = – λ N 0e – λt
dt
A = A0e–λt
A0 = λN0
3 7 × 1010 disintegration/sec
1 curie (Ci) = 3.7
()
n
N = N0 1
2
p = N = e – λt
N0
Probability of a nucleus to disintegration in time ‘t’ is given by
p = 1 – e–λt
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 – λ N
dt
N = P (1 – e – λt )
λ
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 – λ N
dt
N t
dN
∫ q – λN = ∫ dt
0 0
t = 1 log e ⎛
q ⎞
λ ⎝ q – λN ⎠
When activity λ 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
α-emission and β-emission respectively. Find out the time during which
three fourth of a sample will decay if it is decaying both of α-emission and
β emission simultaneously.
β-emission sim ltaneo sl
The decay constants for α and β emissions are 1/1620 and 1/405 per year
espect e y
respectively.
In this case effective decay constant for both decays simultaneously is
λ = λα + λβ
λ = 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 – λ t
4
log e 4
t= = 1.386 × 324 = 449 years 18
Gaurav Arora λ Nuclear Physics
Successive disintegration
Suppose a parent radioactive nucleus A (decay constant = λa) has
number of atoms N0 at time t = 0. After disintegration it converts
into a nucleus B (decay constant = λb) 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 – λ at Nb = ?
At time t, net rate of formation of B = rate of disintegration of A –
rate of disintegration of B.
dNb
= λ a Na – λ b Nb
dt
dNb
= λ a N 0e – λ at – λ b Nb (as N a = N 0 e – λ a t )
dt 19
Gaurav Arora Nuclear Physics
Integrating, we get
⎛ λa ⎞
Nb eλ b t = ⎜ ⎟ N 0 e( λ b – λ a )t + c .....(i)
⎝ λb – λa ⎠
⎛ λa ⎞
c= –⎜ ⎟ N0
⎝ λb – λa ⎠
Substituting this value, we have
⎛ N λ ⎞
Nb = ⎜ 0 a ⎟ e((– λ a t – λ b t) .....(ii)
(ii)
⎝ λb – λa ⎠
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
λaNa > λbNb), reaches to a maximum value ((when λaNa = λbNb) and
then decreases (when λbNb = λaNa). The two graphs for Na and Nb
with time are shown below :