Light Charged Particles
Light Charged Particles
Light Charged Particles
Beta-plus decay
A
Z X → Z−1AY + 10 β + υ
Electron capture
A
Z X + e− → Z−1AY + υ
•NPRE 441, Principles of Radiation Protection
Chapter 8: Chemical and Biological Effects of Radiation
Monte Carlo Simulation of Electron Paths. This simulation is of 15 KeV electrons in fayalite (Fe2SiO4). Distances are given in nanometers
(1000 nm = 1 µm). Paths of backscattered electrons are in red; those of absorbed electrons in blue. One should remember that this slice
through a three-dimensional volume. This model was run using the Casino software described at
http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/casino/What.html.
http://www4.nau.edu/microanalysis/Microprobe-SEM/Signals.html
Chapter 4: Interaction of Radiation with Matter – Interaction of Beta Particles
Ionization process can be modeled as a inelastic collision, the energy loss by the
electron and the kinetic energy carried by the ejected electron is related by
Ek = Eloss - f
where f is the ionization potential of the absorbing medium.
Chapter 4: Interaction of Radiation with Matter – Interaction of Beta Particles
The average energy needed for creating an ion pair is normally 2 to 3 times greater that
the corresponding electron binding energy in the absorbing medium.
Specific Ionization
In the context of radiation protection and health physics, it is normally important to
specify the effect of the energy deposition by a bate particle in terms of the number
of ion pairs created by the particle after traveling through a unit path length – the
specific ionization.
Solution:
The specific energy loss is given by
so
æ MeV ö
S medium çç 2 ÷
÷
S medium è g cm ø
rm = »
S air æ MeV ö
3.67çç ÷
2 ÷
è g cm ø
• Mass stopping power does not differ greatly for materials with similar atomic
compositions.
• Mass stopping power for water can be scaled by density and used for tissue,
plastics, hydrocarbons, and other materials that consist primarily of light
elements.
and
Therefore
and therefore
• In a gas, -dE/dx depends on pressure, but –dE/(ρdx) does not, because dividing
by the density exactly compensates for the pressure.
• Generally, heavy atoms are less efficient in terms of mass stopping power for
slowing down charged particles, because many of their electrons are too tightly
bound in the inner shells to participate effectively in the absorption of beta
energy. For example, for Pb (Z=82) -dE/ρdx = 17.5 MeV cm2g-1 for 10-MeV
protons. (~ 47 MeV cm2 g-1 for water for 10 MeV protons).
æ MeV ö
S medium çç 2 ÷
÷
S medium è g cm ø
rm = »
S air æ MeV ö
3.67çç ÷
2 ÷
è g cm ø
• It takes ~22 eV to produce an e-i pair in water. At low energy, the specific energy
loss of electron is increasing with energy. This does NOT agree with Beth’s
formula,
• In water, most of ionization events are induced by electrons with E<100 eV.
Part of the energy possessed by the beta particle is emitted in the form of photons.
The rate of energy loss is proportional to the square of the instantaneous
acceleration experienced by the beta particle.
• In MeV energy range, the rate of energy loss through bremsstrahlung increases
nearly linearly with beta energy, whereas (-dE/dx) by ionization and excitation
increases only with the logarithm of beta energy.
(- dE dx )bremsstrahlung ZE b (MeV )
»
(- dE dx )ionization -excitation 800
Characteristics of Bremsstrahlung
The total linear energy loss of beta particles is given by
EC is called the
critical energy
E E
NPRE 441, Principles of Radiation Protection, Spring 2020
Chapter 4: Interaction of Radiation with Matter – Interaction of Beta Particles
Solution:
The fraction of energy emitted in the form of bremsstrahlung is
The total amount of kinetic energy carried by the electrons emitted by the source
is
In
Backscattering
Monte Carlo Simulation of Electron Paths. This simulation is of 15 KeV electrons in fayalite (Fe2SiO4). Distances are given in nanometers
(1000 nm = 1 µm). Paths of backscattered electrons are in red; those of absorbed electrons in blue. One should remember that this slice
through a three-dimensional volume. This model was run using the Casino software described at
http://www.gel.usherbrooke.ca/casino/What.html.
http://www4.nau.edu/microanalysis/Microprobe-SEM/Signals.html
Chapter 4: Interaction of Radiation with Matter – Interaction of Beta Particles
Backscattering
Positron Interactions
Page 47, Radiation Detection and Measurements, Third Edition, G. F. Knoll, John Wiley & Sons, 1999.
Figure from Atoms, Radiation, and Radiation Protection, James E Turner, p150
NPRE 441, Principles of Radiation Protection, Spring 2020
Chapter 4: Interaction of Radiation with Matter – Interaction of Beta Particles
Q = Mp – Md - Me =0.001837 AMU
or equivalently
Q = 1.71 MeV
Similar to the case of alpha decay, the energy shared by the recoil nucleus is
Me/(Mp+Me) ´ Q ?? … So the electron generated will be mono-energetic ??
The energy release is shared by all three daughter products. Due to the relatively
large mass of the daughter nucleus, it attains only a small fraction of the energy.
Therefore, the kinetic energy of the beta particle is
Eb - » Q - En
For example, if the range of the beta rays (the total density thickness of the
absorbing material required to fully stop the beta rays) is determined as
The maximum energy of the beta rays can be determined, by using the universal
range-energy curve, to be ~0.17MeV. Therefore, the beta emitter is likely to be 14C
that emits beta particles with a maximum energy of 0.155MeV.
• Heavy charged particles can transfer only a small fraction of its energy in a
single collision. Its deflection in collision is almost negligible. Therefore
heavy charged particles travel in a almost straight paths in matter, losing
energy continuously through a large number of collisions with atomic
electrons.
where M and m are the mass of the heavy charged particle and the electron. V is the
initial velocity of the charged particle. V1 and v1 are the velocities of both particles
after the collision.