Nuclear radiation

Insert your name

Types of nuclear radiation

Type of radiation α-particle β−-particle β+-particle γ-ray

Composition

Mass relative to proton 4 1840^-1 1840^-1 0

Charge +2e -e e 0

Proton mass: mp = 1.66×1027 kg

Elementary/fundamental charge: e = 1.60×1019 C

Particles and antiparticles
Both particles and antiparticles have the
same mass, however, they have opposite
charges. For example, the positron (β+) is
the antiparticle of the electron (β+), with
charges of e+ and e- respectively.

The antiparticle of the electron neutrino (ν)

is the electron antineutrino (⊽)
How types of decay affect the nucleus
Alpha decay: the isotope radon-222 loses 4 nucleons altogether, including 2 protons, leaving polonium-
218 and an α-particle

Insert equation here

β—-decay: isotope manganese-46 loses an electron (loss of -1 proton) and an electron antineutrino is
emitted, the remainder of the nucleus is iron-46

Insert equation here

β+-decay: isotope vanadium-48 loses a positron (loss of +1 proton) and an electron neutrino is emitted,
titanium-48 remains of the nucleus

Insert equation here

Note: the numbers on both sides of the β-decay equations are balanced because energy has been emitted in form of neutrinos.
In the case of α-decay, there is “lost” mass that has been converted into kinetic energy. So instead of mass being conserved in
nuclear processes, it is the conservation of mass-energy, proven by E=mc 2
Fundamental particles
These are particles that cannot be subdivided
further. They are split into two classes

Quarks: these are heavier particles that are

affected by the strong nuclear force e.g. up,
down, charm, strange, top and bottom quarks.

Leptons: these are light particles that are

unaffected by the strong nuclear force e.g.
electron, tau, muon and all of their respective
neutrinos.
Quarks
Quarks are currently regarded fundamental particles in the hadron class that make up other
large hadrons such as protons, neutrons and others. Just like other particles, they have
antiparticle counterparts.
Type of quark up down charm strange top bottom

Symbol u d c s t b

Charge +⅔ e -⅓ e +⅔ e -⅓ e +⅔ e -⅓ e

Type of antiquark Anti up Anti down Anti charm Anti strange Anti top Anti bottom

Symbol u̅ d̅ c̅ s̅ t̅ b̅

Charge -⅔ e +⅓ e -⅔ e +⅓ e -⅔ e +⅓ e
Hadrons
There are two classes of hadrons: baryons
that are made up of three quarks, and
mesons that are made up of a quark and an
antiquark.

They are different because baryons are

protons or particles that eventually decay
into protons, while mesons cannot be or
decay into protons.

The other obvious difference is the number

of quarks that compose them.
An explicit description of β decay
A hadron decays into a hadron, lepton and an antilepton

β+ decay: within a proton that decays into a neutron, an

up quark decays into a down quark, releasing a positron
and an electron neutrino

Insert equation here

β- decay: inside a neutron that decays into a proton, a

down quark decays into an up quark, releasing an
electron and an electron antineutrino

Insert equation here