Ionizing Radiation.

[manohman]

Can someone clarify what Ionizing Radiation is and how it relates to Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Emission and/or Absorption?

A question in the Princeton Review Science Workbook read:

The daughter nucleus of CS-137 is:...

and the answer is 137 - Barium.

The text says that Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Particles are destructive because of their ability to ionize atoms they collide with.

So this suggests (given the answer to the question) that the Ionizing Abilities of such radiation (alpha, beta, and gamma particles/radiation) can cause a neutron to break open and release an electron, thus leaving an extra proton (this is how CS-137 became Ba-137. Barium has 1 more proton than Cesium and Ba-137 has the same mass).

But in doing some side reading, I found that Alpha , Beta, and Gamma particles induce ionization by exciting electrons they collide with. This is different from breaking open a neutron. Can anyone clarify?

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[Cawolf]

Ionizing radiation literally ionizes atoms by energizing electrons to escape the nucleus.

This is a non-nuclear process.

 

[blackmarble]

interesting nuance, good eye id imagine most people would gloss over that (at least i would).

 

[manohman]

Ionizing radiation literally ionizes atoms by energizing electrons to escape the nucleus.

This is a non-nuclear process.

Wait if it's energizing electrons to escape the nucleus isnt that a nuclear process since free flying electrons exist only outside the nucleus?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Cawolf]

My reason for using the terminology is to distinguish it from a nuclear decay process. I see where I may have worded things funny - I meant to escape the electronic attraction of the nucleus - not to literally appear from nuclear transformation.

In your example of Cs-137 to Ba-137 a neutron decays to a proton, electron, and anti-neutrino.

When an electron is ionized from radiation, a valence electron is energized - there is no nuclear transformation.

 

[manohman]

My reason for using the terminology is to distinguish it from a nuclear decay process. I see where I may have worded things funny - I meant to escape the electronic attraction of the nucleus - not to literally appear from nuclear transformation.

In your example of Cs-137 to Ba-137 a neutron decays to a proton, electron, and anti-neutrino.

When an electron is ionized from radiation, a valence electron is energized - there is no nuclear transformation.

I see okay thanks that makes a lot more sense!

SO radiation always causes a valence electron to be released.

And decay can cause a neutron to decay to release an electron or positron or helium atom.

Just out of curiosity, what happens when radiation or a particle strikes the nucleus of an atom, thereby striking a neutron? Or does this not occur?
- well i guess we know it does occur since thats what the rutherford experiment tells us. But with the rutherford experiment the colliding particles werent of high enough energy im assuming? or will it just always bounce off?

 

[Cawolf]

Ionizing radiation that is high enough energy may ionize - it isn't a given.

There are many types of radiation that are too low energy - in general most radiation with a frequency below UV.

It depends on the energy of the particle and the electronic interactions - I don't think I can generalize there.

The high energy neutrons ejected in fission reactions are capable of breaking the strong force in collision and generate more fission reactions.

 

[neurodoc]

Can someone clarify what Ionizing Radiation is and how it relates to Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Emission and/or Absorption?...
But in doing some side reading, I found that Alpha , Beta, and Gamma particles induce ionization by exciting electrons they collide with. This is different from breaking open a neutron. Can anyone clarify?

Perhaps I'm missing something, but doesn't "radiation" travel at the speed of light? If we're referring to "particles," that would mean, basically, photons? By that reasoning, that would include gamma radiation, but not alpha (He nuclei) or beta (electrons), which have measurable mass. Gamma radiation, on the other hand, involves massless "particles" travelling at light speed, just like visible light, UV light, x-rays or any other photons on the electromagnetic spectrum.

 

[Cawolf]

My interpretation is that any product of nuclear decay is termed radiation. Alpha and Beta radiation are considered "particle radiation", which I agree is weird.

All of the types have some quantifiable energy that is capable of energizing electrons upon collision.

I of course am no expert, just a post-bac student who is always willing to learn. But that's my take.