Decay law:

RADIOACTIVE DECAY:
In the study of nuclear stability, it was seen that only o few combinations of protons and
neutrons produce stable nuclei, whereas others do not. Unstable nuclei decay by emitting alpha,
beta and gamma radiations. The emission of these radiations by unstable nuclei in their decay
process is called radioactivity and the decay process s called radioactive decay
 Explanation:
• Radioactivity is not influenced by chemical or physical means, i.e, we can
neither retard nor accelerate the rate of radioactive decay by use of heat,
pressure, electric field etc. not all the radiations are emitted by the same
nuclide in radioactivity. Usually a radioactive element emits alpha or gamma
or beta or gamma rays. Of course there are several exceptions to this rule
like: hydrogen 3. carbon 14 and phosphorous 32 emits only beta rays so they
are called pure beta emitter.
 Explanation:
• Radioactive or nuclear decay is a process in which a parent nuclide
disintegrates into daughter nuclides with the emission of radiation or
particles. Radioactive elements undergo spontaneous transformation
accompanied by the radiation. This transformation is related to the nature of
radioactivity and termed as the disintegration process. For a particular atom
of radioactive element to disintegrate the length of the time interval is of
importance. The disintegration of radioactive element for unit interval of
time i.e the rate of disintegration is of great help to determine and identify
the radioactive species.
 Important modes of nuclear decay are:
• Alpha decay
• Beta decay
• Gamma emission
• Internal conversion
• Isomeric transition
 Alpha decay:
• The α-particle is made up of 2 protons and 2 neutrons. Its charge number is 2 and
mass num is 4. therefore, if a nuclide emits α-particles, its charge num is reduced by
2 and mass num by 4. because both the charge and ,ass num conserved during the
nuclear transformation. Alpha decay can be expressed by the following:
• equation
• All nuclides with atomic num greater than 83 are radioactive and are located beyond
the band of stability. Many of such nuclides decay by alpha commission. This is not
unexpected, because alpha particle is relatively large particle and a nucleus which
emits alpha particle must be large.
 Alpha decay:
• Examples:
• 238U --------------------- 234Th +α
• 226Ra -------------------> 222Rn +α
• 210Po------------------> 206Pb + α
• Some of the isotopes of uranium Z=92 and element of higher atomic
num also disintegrate via spontaneous nuclear fission in which a heavy
nucleus splits into nuclides of intermediate masses and neutrons.
 Beta-particle Decay
• There are several decay processes which come under the heading of beta
particle decay.
1. Emission of e by nucleus or beta negative decay.
2. Emission of positron by the nucleus or beta positive decay.
3. Electron captures by nucleus.
 β_ decay
• We know that e and positron do not constitute the nucleus. How than they
are emitted by nucleus? They are created in the nucleus only at the time of
emission. When a nucleus has an excess of neutrons than required for stable
nucleus in a particular region. Such a nucleaus will achive stability by
changing its neutrons to protons. It is represented in the following way:
• n-------------------.> p + β- + υ
 β-decay
• The energy released in this process is shared b/w the electron and
antineutrino and they carry way part of energy. β_ particles may have energy
b/w zero and certain maximum value.
• Beta negative decay is common over the entire range of nuclides and
amongest the naturally occurring heavy radioactive nuclides and in fission
product. Some example are as follows
• 88Ra ---------------------------.> 89Ac + β-
 β+-decay
• When a nucleus has more protons then permitted by neutrons: proton ratio
for stable nuclide in certain region will unstable. Such a nucleus will achieve
stability by converting its proton to neutrons.
• P----------------------------.>n + β+ +υ(neutrino)
• A positron has the mass of an e, but a positive charge. Positron decay can be
represented by the following generalized equation.
• X-----------------------------.>z+1 Y +β+ +υ+ +Q
 General equation:
• 𝐴𝑍𝑋-----------------.> 𝑍−1𝐴𝑌 + β+ + υ + Q
• The energy released during beta decay is shared between β+ and υ particles.
By changing a proton into neutron, positron emission results in decrease in
the atomic num and increase in the num of neutrons by one, without any
change in mass num. some examples of β + 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤
• 38
19𝐾 −−−−−−−−−−− −. > 38
18𝐴𝑟 + β+
• 15
8𝑂 −−−−−−−−−−− −. > 15
7𝑁 + β+
 Electron capture(EC)
• A nucleus which is deficient in neutrons decays either by β+_decay r electron
capture. In electron capture, a nucleus cspture one of its own orbital electron
and emits a neutron. Because a K-shell e is captured of about 98% of the
event, this process is often called K-capture. The EC can be represented as
• P+e→n+υ
• In electro capture decay, the charge num of he decaying nucleus is reduced
by one, its mass number remains the same. EC is represented by the
generalized equation.
 Generalized Equation
• 𝐴𝑍𝑌 + 𝑒 → 𝑧−1𝐴𝑦 + υ
• Both β+ -decay and EC result in reducing the charge num of the decaying nucleus
by one and shifting the daughter nucleus one place to the left in the periodic table.
The difference lies in the fact that in the EC process as the name implies, an e of
the outer sphere of the same atom is captured by the nucleus leading to a
transformation of proton into a neutron. The outer electron is now is less in
number, just balance the nuclear charge which is also one less now.no other change
is involved following electron capture, except from the emission of X-rays which
are produced by the rearrangement of outer electrons. The emission of e is
characteristics of daughter nucleus.
 Examples:
• 55
26 𝐹𝑒 + 𝑒 → 55
25𝑀𝑛 + υ

• 37 37
18𝐴𝑟 + 𝑒 → 17𝐶𝑙 + υ
• Some nuclides undergo both EC and positron emission.
• 22
11𝑁𝑎 +𝑒 → 22
10𝑁𝑒 (3%)
• 22
11𝑁𝑎 → 22
10𝑁𝑒 + β + (97%)
 Gamma Emission:
• The emission of alpha particles may leave the daughter nucleus on an excited
state. This excited state usually loses this energy by the emission of short
wavelength radiation called gamma radiation. This radiation has definite
energy. Since both the mass number and charge number of the de-exciting
nucleus does not change. It is also known as nuclear de-excitation.
 Internal conversion (IC)
• De-excitation also occurs by the method of internal conversion. This
possible when two levels has the same total angular momentum and gamma
transition between them is forbidden. Under such conditions the excited
nucleus may interact with an orbital e in such a way that the excitation energy
is transformed to the orbital e, which is then emitted. This type of electron
conversion is called internal conversion. Electron from EC are monoenergetic and thus
differ from e of beta decay usually have energy from zero to maximum. This
is possible as the wave function of electron inside the nucleus id not zero.
 Isomeric transition:
• Nuclides having excited levels but do not decay instantaneously are called
isomeric nuclei. The various excited levels are called isomeric levels. They
decay either by gamma emission or by internal conversion. Transition leading
to de-excitation is called isomeric transition.