PHYS 3650 - Modern Physics
Lesson 32 - Radioactive Decay Processes II

Study Assignment:

Chapter 32, Section 32.2

Lesson notes:

In this lesson we discuss the beta and gamma decay processes.

Objectives:

1. Understand each of the two types of beta decay.

2. Understand the nature of the neutrino (and antineutrino) and why it was hypothesized in the theory of beta decay.

3. Be able to determine the maximum kinetic energies kinetic energies of the beta particles and neutrinos produced in beta decay.

4. Understand the nature of the spectrum of kinetic energies of beta particles produced in beta decay.

5. Understand the process of gamma decay.

Vocabulary:

beta minus decay
beta plus decay
gamma decay
 

Homework:

TP: 32-18, 32-19

Additional resources:

Biographies of 

• Enrico Fermi and 
• Frederick Reines 

are provided by the Nobel Foundation.

The National Nuclear Data Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory provides a Q-value calculator which you can use to check your work.

A detailed description of gamma decay is provided in the Nuclear Energy Level Diagrams and Gamma Decay supplement for the course.

Last update: November 15, 2007