8.

RADIOACTIVITY
AND
 IONISING RADIATION

Radioactivity is particles that are emitted from nuclei as a result of nuclear instability. Nuclear
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instability is a consequence of the conflict between the two strongest forces in nature (strong
interaction and electromagnetic interaction), both of which act on the nucleus. Atoms that
contain unstable nuclei are radioactive. Radioactive nuclei spontaneously decay by emitting
a particle and/or quantum of electromagnetic radiation. The most common types of radiation
are alpha-, beta- and gamma-radiation. Radiation, which is the product of radioactivity, can
be analysed by an electric or a magnetic field. Different types of radioactivity lead to differ-
ent decay paths, which transmute nuclei into other stable or radioactive chemical elements.
Radioactive dating consists of examining the amount of decay products. Since radioactivity
is related to the nucleus, the decay rate can be influenced by either chemical or physical
processes.

8.1 NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL RADIOACTIVITY

Radioactive nuclei occurring in nature are natural, while others produced artificially in
atomic reactors or accelerators are artificial. Natural radionuclides are divided into the fol-
lowing two groups:
a) Light natural radionuclides with atomic numbers Z ≤ 75, e.g. 14C, 40K, 115In, 139La, etc.
These radionuclides do not form decay series and upon disintegration result in stable
nuclei. Potassium 40 14
19 K and carbon 6 C are the most important elements in this group and
are of interest in biomedical disciplines.
Copyright 2018. Charles University in Prague, Karolinum Press.

b) Heavy natural radionuclides are members of three decay series (see later). The radio-
nuclide that decays and forms another radionuclide is the parent radionuclide and its
decay product is the daughter radionuclide.

Elements with atomic numbers Z ≥ 93 (transuranium elements) are also produced by
the bombardment of heavy nuclides in accelerators. All of these elements are short-lived
radionuclides.

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