Nuclear Stability
Plot of N vs. Z for known nuclides.
The stable nuclides are indicated
by the black dots.
Non-stable nuclides decay by
emission of particles, or
electromagnetic radiation,
in a process called radioactivity
Radioactivity
Alpha Decay:nuclei that are too large to be stable tend to decay by
alpha decay, the emission of an alpha particle.
[An alpha particle is the 4He nucleus, two protons and two neutrons]
23892U ?23490Th + a
Gamma Decay:the energy of internal motion (protons and neutrons
in a nucleus is quantized. A nucleus has a set of
allowed energy states (ground state and excited
states) much like in an atom. Transitions between
states lead to the emission of very energetic
electromagnetic radiation called ?(gamma) rays
23892U*?23892U + ?
Plot of N vs. Z for known nuclides.
The stable nuclides are indicated
by the black dots.
Non-stable nuclides decay by
emission of particles, or
electromagnetic radiation,
in a process called radioactivity
Radioactivity
Alpha Decay:nuclei that are too large to be stable tend to decay by
alpha decay, the emission of an alpha particle.
[An alpha particle is the 4He nucleus, two protons and two neutrons]
23892U ?23490Th + a
Gamma Decay:the energy of internal motion (protons and neutrons
in a nucleus is quantized. A nucleus has a set of
allowed energy states (ground state and excited
states) much like in an atom. Transitions between
states lead to the emission of very energetic
electromagnetic radiation called ?(gamma) rays
23892U*?23892U + ?
