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Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive. Three of the most common types of decay are alpha, beta, and gamma decay.
Induced radioactivity, also called artificial radioactivity or man-made radioactivity, is the process of using radiation to make a previously stable material radioactive. [1] The husband-and-wife team of Irène Joliot-Curie and Frédéric Joliot-Curie discovered induced radioactivity in 1934, and they shared the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry ...
Aluminium can capture a neutron and generate radioactive sodium-24, which has a half life of 15 hours [9] [10] and a beta decay energy of 5.514 MeV. [11] The activation of a number of test target elements such as sulfur, copper, tantalum, and gold have been used to determine the yield of both pure fission [12] [13] and thermonuclear weapons. [14]
Particle radiation from radioactive material or cosmic rays almost invariably carries enough energy to be ionizing. Most ionizing radiation originates from radioactive materials and space (cosmic rays), and as such is naturally present in the environment, since most rocks and soil have small concentrations of radioactive materials.
Radioactive materials are confined in the smallest possible space and kept out of the environment such as in a hot cell (for radiation) or glove box (for contamination). Radioactive isotopes for medical use, for example, are dispensed in closed handling facilities, usually gloveboxes, while nuclear reactors operate within closed systems with ...
The unit of radioactivity from the System International of units (SI system) is the becquerel (Bq) defined as the radioactive decay or disintegration of one radionuclide per second. Radioactivity is a measure of the total, local rate of radionuclides decaying per unit time and is dependent upon the total number of atoms, decay constants , and ...
Radon, a byproduct of naturally decaying uranium, is estimated to cause thousands of deaths each year nationwide. Here's how to protect yourself.
Radioactive contamination, also called radiological pollution, is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable (from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) definition).