Nuclear Physics-II

PHY-451
Lecture-10
“Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission”

By: Dr. Sajid Khan

Asst. Professor, Department of Physics
KUST
Topic: Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission

Outline
Beta (β) Delayed Nucleon Emission
 Basic Process and How it Happens?
Schematics of β-Delayed Nucleon Emission
Energetics of β-Delayed Nucleon Emission
Example: β-Delayed Neutron Emission from 17N

2
Topic: Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission

Basic Process and How it Happens?

Beta
Negative
Parent
Nucleus
Daughter
Nucleus
𝜷− ν−
Decay

 After Beta Positive or Beta Negative decay, the daughter nucleus may be
left in one of its exited states.
 Usually, the daughter nucleus gains stability by emitting ν-rays
 But sometimes, the excited daughter nucleus is unstable against the
emission of one or more nucleons
 So, the process of emission of one or more nucleons from the excited
daughter nucleus following the beta decay is called Beta delayed nucleon
emission
Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 3
Topic: Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission

Schematics of Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission

Precursor
ε, β+
𝑨
𝒁𝑿 𝑵
p

𝑨−𝟏 Sp
𝒁−𝟐𝑿′′𝑵+𝟏
𝑨
𝒁−𝟏𝑿′𝑵+𝟏

Source: Introductory Nuclear Physics by K. S. Krane

Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 4
Topic: Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission

Energetics of β-dealyed Nucleon Emission

 Figure shows that the process can occur as long as the β-decay energy is greater than
the nucleon separation energy: Qβ > SN (N= neutron or proton)
The decay is a two-body process (nucleon plus daughter nucleus), the nucleons emit
with a distinct energy, equal to the difference between the initial and final states.
The energy levels in the daughter are usually well known, and so the energy of the
emitted nucleon is the measure of the energy of the excited state of the emitter.
From the relative probability of nucleon emission from different states in the
emitter, the relative population of these states in the β-decay of the precursor can be
deduced.

Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 5
Topic: Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission

Example: β-Delayed Neutron Emission from 17N

 To analyze the energy transfer in the decay, we first need the neutron
separation energy of 17O
𝑺𝒏 = 𝒎 𝟏𝟔𝑶 − 𝒎 𝟏𝟕𝑶 + 𝒎𝒏 𝒄𝟐
= (𝟏𝟓. 𝟗𝟗𝟒𝟗𝟏𝟒𝟔𝟒 𝒖 − 𝟏𝟔. 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟏𝟑𝟎𝟔 𝒖)(𝟗𝟑𝟏. 𝟓𝟎𝟐 𝑴𝒆𝑽/𝒖
= 𝟒. 𝟏𝟒𝟒 𝑴𝒆𝑽
 This energy must be provided to remove a neutron from 𝟏𝟕𝐎
 Let’s consider the initial state of the system as 17O in an excited state with
energy Ex
 Using the conservation of energy
𝒎 𝟏𝟕𝑶 𝒄𝟐 + 𝑬𝒙 = 𝒎 𝟏𝟔𝑶 𝒄𝟐 + 𝑬𝒙′ + 𝒎𝒏 𝒄𝟐 + 𝑻𝒏 + 𝑻𝑹
Or
𝑬𝒙 = 𝑬𝒙′ + 𝑻𝒏 + 𝑻𝑹 + 𝑺𝒏
where 𝑻𝒏 is the neutron kinetic energy and 𝑻𝑹 is the energy of the 𝟏𝟔𝑶 recoil,
which must occur to conserve momentum.
Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 6
Topic: Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission

Example: β-Delayed Neutron Emission from 17N- Cont…

 From conservation of momentum
𝒎𝒏 𝟏
𝑻𝑹 = 𝑻 𝒏 ≈ 𝑻𝒏
𝒎𝑹 𝑨−𝟏
 The final result is
𝑨
𝑬𝒙 = 𝑬𝒙′ + 𝑻𝒏 + 𝑺𝒏
𝑨−𝟏

Assuming 𝑬𝒙′ = 0 for l6O, the three measured 17N β-delayed neutron
energies give excitation energies of 4.551, 5.388, and 5.950 MeV

Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 7
Topic: Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission

Energy of Emitted Neturons

Source: Introductory Nuclear Physics by K. S. Krane

Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 8
Topic: Beta Delayed Nucleon Emission

END OF LECTURE

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Course: Nuclear Physics-II, PHY-451, Instructor: Dr. Sajid Khan, Asst. Prof. Department of Physics, KUST, Email: sajidkhan@kust.edu.pk 9