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What is Radioactivity?. BNEN Nuclear Energy: Intro William D’haeseleer. Chemical elements. Periodic Table (Mendeleev). Chemical elements. Periodic Table (Mendeleev) Focuses on the electrons in atoms. Chemical elements. Periodic Table (Mendeleev) Focuses on the electrons in atoms.
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What is Radioactivity? BNEN Nuclear Energy: Intro William D’haeseleer BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Chemical elements • Periodic Table (Mendeleev) BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Chemical elements • Periodic Table (Mendeleev) • Focuses on the electrons in atoms BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Chemical elements • Periodic Table (Mendeleev) • Focuses on the electrons in atoms BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Chemical elements • Periodic Table (Mendeleev) • Focuses on the electrons in atoms BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Chemical elements • Periodic Table (Mendeleev) • Focuses on the electrons in atoms BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Atoms vs Nuclei & Electron Cloud (neutral) atom = nucleus + Z electrons ion = ionized atom nucleus = Z protons + N neutrons = A nucleons Matter is basically “empty space”, but electrons move at very high speed BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Exited states in atoms Stationary states Hydrogen Mercury (simplified) BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Exited states in atoms Transitions in eV range Emitted e.m. radiation = UV or X rays BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013 1 eV = 1.6 10-19 Joule
Transitions btwn shells in atoms BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Exited states in nuclei Nuclei vibrate & rotate BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Exited states in nuclei Nuclei vibrate & rotate BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Exited states in nuclei Stationary states Transitions in MeV range Emitted e.m. radiation = Gamma rays BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Electromagnetic spectrum Gamma rays Common e.m. waves: Radio TV Micro-wave I.R. (heat) visible UV & X rays BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Elements vs Isotopes • Chemical elements characterized by Z • Number of protons = Z • Number of electrons = Z • If same Z but different N, particles called isotopes of chemical element • E.g., Hydrogen has three isotopes • Sometimes “isotope” used as generic name of all nuclei/atoms with all kinds of Z & A. BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Some light Isotopes proton neutron BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Rank all stable isotopes in (N,Z) plot Every stable isotope represented by a black dot 208Pb last stable nucleus BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Chart of Nuclides About 1400 isotopes known About 280 stable About 1220 unstable BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Chart of Nuclides Too many protons Too many neutrons BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Chart of Nuclides BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Z Chart of Nuclides 208Pb last stable nucleus N BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Z Chart of Nuclides 61Pm 43Tc N BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Z Chart of Nuclides Too many protons Too many neutrons N BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Radioactive decay Beta- decay when too many neutrons: neutron proton + electron(+ anti neutrino) A remains same Z Z+1& N N-1 BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Radioactive decay Beta+ decay when too many protons: proton neutron + positron(+ neutrino) A remains same Z Z-1& N N+1 BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Radioactive decay p n e+ before after BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Z Chart of Nuclides Heavy unstable isotopes N BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Z Chart of Nuclides Heavy unstable isotopes Wish to move downward quickly N BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Radioactive decay Emission two protons & two neutrons A A – 4 & Z Z – 2 N N - 2 BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Radioactive decay BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Summary radioactive decay Alpha decay Beta decay beta- decay beta+ decay Energetic alpha Energetic electron Energetic positron BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Alpha energies • Well defined energies of emitted alpha particles upon transition • Typically ~ 4-10 MeV BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Beta energies • Energy variable (because neutrino) Beta min = electronBeta plus = positron BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Beta energies Emitted energies vary considerably dependent on isotope BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
And Gamma rays? BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Gamma decay • Gamma decay typically follows beta decay • Beta decay often to excited state of daughter • Excited daughter then decays very quickly to lower state BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Gamma decay (after beta decay) BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Beta - Gamma decay E.g., beta min decay BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Alpha - Beta - Gamma decay 212Bi has all three decay modes BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Alpha - Beta - Gamma decay BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
When radioactive decay? Start from N° radioactive isotopes λ= desintegration constant = probability for decay per second BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
When radioactive decay? Half life = time that half of the isotopes has decayed Average life time isotope BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
When radioactive decay? Activity = number of disintegrations per second = Becquerel= Bq= [1/s] Old unit = Curie = Ci ; 1 Ci = 37 GBq BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
When radioactive decay? BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Radioactive chains • Very often daughter also unstable • Radioactive chains N1 λ1 N2 λ2 N3 BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Natural Radioactivity • Many unstable isotopes exist in nature, and originate from nature • Cosmogenic isotopes • Primordial isotopes • Very long lived lighter than Pb • Natural radioactive chains 238U 235U 232Th • Transuranic elements & Np decay series BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Natural Radioactivity • Many unstable isotopes exist in nature, and originate from nature • Cosmogenic isotopes • Primordial isotopes • Very long lived lighter than Pb • Natural radioactive chains 238U 235U 232Th • Transuranic elements & Np decay series BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Cosmogenic isotopes • Interaction of cosmic radiation produces protons & neutrons which interact with with nuclei from atmosphere • Produce radioactive isotopes • Typical examples: BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013
Cosmogenic Example C-14 BNEN – Nuclear Energy Intro W. D’haeseleer 2012-2013