{"id":11699,"date":"2016-03-04T18:52:46","date_gmt":"2016-03-04T18:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sitepourvtc.com\/?page_id=11699"},"modified":"2022-10-13T18:28:20","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T18:28:20","slug":"beta-particle","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sitepourvtc.com\/nuclear-power\/reactor-physics\/atomic-nuclear-physics\/fundamental-particles\/beta-particle\/","title":{"rendered":"Beta Particle"},"content":{"rendered":"
Beta particles<\/strong> are high-energy, high-speed electrons or positrons<\/strong> emitted by certain fission fragments<\/a> or certain primordial radioactive nuclei such as potassium-40. The beta particles are a form of ionizing radiation<\/a>, also known as beta rays. The production of beta particles is termed beta decay<\/strong>. There are two forms of beta decay, electron decay (\u03b2\u2212 decay)<\/strong> and positron decay (\u03b2+ decay)<\/strong>.<\/div><\/div>\n

A nuclear reactor<\/a> occurs especially the \u03b2\u2212 decay because the common feature of the fission products is an excess of neutrons<\/a><\/strong> (see Nuclear Stability<\/a>). An unstable fission fragment with the excess of neutrons undergoes \u03b2\u2212 decay, where the neutron is converted into a proton, an electron, and an electron antineutrino<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"beta<\/a>
Beta-decay of C-14 nucleus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/span>\u03b2- particles<\/div>
\u03b2- particles (electrons) are energetic electrons. The electrons are negatively charged, almost massless particles that nevertheless account for most of the size of the atom. Sir John Joseph Thomson discovered electrons in 1897. Electrons are located in an electron cloud, which is the area surrounding the nucleus of the atom. The electron is only one member of a class of elementary particles<\/a>, which forms an atom.<\/div><\/div>
<\/span>\u03b2+ particles<\/div>
\u03b2+ particles (positrons) are antiparticles of negative electrons. Positrons, also called positive electrons, \u00a0have a positive electric charge and have the same mass and magnitude of charge as the electrons. Destruction occurs when a low-energy positron collides with a low-energy electron.<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>\n
\n

A spectrum of beta particles<\/h2>\n
\"Energy<\/a>
The shape of this energy curve depends on what fraction of the reaction energy (Q value-the amount of energy released by the reaction) is carried by the electron or neutrino.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the process of beta decay, either an electron or a positron is emitted. This emission is accompanied by the emission of antineutrino<\/strong><\/a> (\u03b2- decay) or neutrino<\/strong><\/a> (\u03b2+ decay), which shares energy and momentum of the decay. The beta emission has a characteristic spectrum. This characteristic spectrum<\/a> is caused by the fact that either a neutrino or an antineutrino is emitted with the emission of a beta particle. The shape of this energy curve depends on what fraction of the reaction energy (Q value<\/strong>-the amount of energy released by the reaction) is carried by the massive particle. Beta particles can therefore be emitted with any kinetic energy ranging from 0 to Q<\/strong>. By 1934, Enrico Fermi had developed a Fermi theory of beta decay<\/strong>, which predicted the shape of this energy curve.<\/p>\n

Nature of Interaction of Beta Radiation with Matter<\/h2>\n

Summary of types of interactions:<\/strong><\/p>\n