Nuclear Physics-II

PHY-451
Lecture-12
“Gamma Decay”

By: Dr. Sajid Khan

Asst. Professor, Department of Physics
KUST
Topic: Gamma Decay

Outline
Gamma Decay
 Basic Process and How it Happens?
Schematics and Example
Energetics of Gamma Decay

Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 2
Topic: Gamma Decay

Gamma Decay
 Gamma decay is the simplest form of nuclear decay in which energetic
photons are emitted by nuclei left in an excited state by some earlier
process.
 Nucleons in an excited nucleus are in higher orbitals, and they fall to
lower levels by photon emission (similar to electrons in excited atoms).
 Nuclear excited states have lifetimes typically of only about 10-14 s, an
indication of the great strength of the forces pulling the nucleons to lower
states.
 The γ decay process is simply

𝑨 ∗
𝒁𝑿𝑵 → 𝑨𝒁𝑿𝑵 +γ

Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 3
Topic: Gamma Decay

Example:

Excited Ground State

Nucleus Nucleus

Gamma Ray

𝟔𝟎𝑪𝒐
𝟔𝟎𝑪𝒐 → 𝟔𝟎𝑵𝒊 ∗ + 𝜷− + 𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒐
𝟔𝟎𝑵𝒊 ∗
𝟔𝟎
𝑵𝒊 ∗ → 𝟔𝟎
𝑵𝒊 + 𝜸𝟏 + 𝜸𝟐 𝜸𝟏
𝟔𝟎𝑵𝒊 ∗
𝜸𝟐 𝟔𝟎𝑵𝒊

Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 4
Topic: Gamma Decay

Energetics of Gamma Decay

 Let us consider the decay of nucleus of M at rest.
 If it decays from initial excited state 𝑬𝒊 to a final state 𝑬𝒇 .
 Since linear momentum is conserved in this process, final nucleus will not
be at rest.
 It must have recoil momentum 𝒑𝑹 and and recoil kinetic energy 𝑻𝑹 .
Assuming non-relativistic case, the kinetic energy will be

𝑷𝑹 𝟐
𝑻𝑹 =
𝟐𝑴
Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 5
Topic: Gamma Decay

Energetics of Gamma Decay- Cont…

 According to law of conservation of total energy
𝑬𝒊 = 𝑬𝒇 + 𝑬γ + 𝑻𝑹 ----------Eq. 01

 Applying law of conservation of linear momentum

𝟎 = 𝒑𝑹 + 𝒑𝜸 ----------Eq. 02
or
𝑝𝑅 = 𝑝γ
The nucleus recoils with a momentum equal and opposite to that of the 𝜸 −ray.
 Eq.01 can be written as
𝑬𝒊 − 𝑬𝒇 = 𝑬γ + 𝑻𝑹
Writing 𝑬𝒊 − 𝑬𝒇 = ∆𝑬
∆𝑬 = 𝑬γ + 𝑻𝑹
Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 6
Topic: Gamma Decay

Energetics of Gamma Decay- Cont…

𝑃𝑅 2
∆𝐸 = 𝐸𝛾 + ----------Eq. 03
2𝑀

 Using relativistic relation

𝐸𝛾 = 𝑐𝑝𝛾
Eq.03 can be written as

𝐸γ 2
∆𝐸 = 𝐸𝛾 + ----------Eq. 04
2𝑀𝑐 2
This is quadratic equation in 𝐸𝛾 , which can be solved using quadratic
formula
Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 7
Topic: Gamma Decay

Energetics of Gamma Decay- Cont…

 It has solution
1
2 ∆𝐸 2
𝐸𝛾 = 𝑀𝑐 [−1 ± 1 + 2 2 ] ----------Eq. 04
𝑀𝑐
The ∆𝑬 is of the order of 𝑴𝒆𝑽, while rest energy Mc2 is of the order of
A× 103 𝑴𝒆𝑽, where A is mass number. So ∆𝑬<< 𝑴𝒄𝟐
 Expanding the square root, and keeping first three terms
(∆𝐸)2
𝐸𝛾 ≅ ∆𝐸 − 2 ----------Eq. 05
2𝑀𝑐

 This shows that actual γ-ray energy is slightly smaller than the maximum
available decay energy ∆𝑬

Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 8
Topic: Gamma Decay

Energetics of Gamma Decay- Remarks

 The recoil correction to the energy is generally negligible
 Therefore we can safely take energy of γ-ray as
𝑬𝜸 = ∆𝑬

 For low energy γ-rays, the recoil energy is less than 1 𝒆𝑽 .

 High-energy γ-rays (5-10-MeV) give recoils in the range of 100 eV.
 This energy may be sufficient to move the recoiling atom from its
position in a solid lattice.
 Effects of this type are known as radiation damage and have an
important role in the study of solids.

Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 9
Topic: Gamma Decay

END OF LECTURE

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Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 10