What is produced by the alpha and beta particles and gamma radiation?

Answer 1

Alpha particals, beta particles and gamma rays are all forms of nuclear radiation. They are produced in nuclear decay, which involves changes in an atomic nucleus. The first two types of radiation are forms of what is called particulate radiation. Both the alpha particle and beta particle are actually particles. The gamma ray is a form of high energy electromagnetic radiation. Each of these types of radiation is discussed in posts in related questions, and you'll find links to them below.

Answer 2

They are produced by the sub-atomic particle interactions such as electron-positron annihilation, neutral pion decay , fission , fusion , or inverse compton scattering in astrophysical process. A classical gamma ray source is a type of radioactive decay commonly called as GAMMA DECAY where the excited nucleus emits a gamma ray almost immediately on the formation.

Answer 3

Forms of all three can be created by nuclear reactions. Alpha radiation is actually particles (a helium nucleus), beta radiation consists of either electrons or positrons, and gamma rays are the only one of the three that is actually a form of radiation energy (photon).

Alpha

Alpha decay involves the release of a helium nuclei (alpha particle) from the nucleus of the parent nuclide. This reduces the atomic number by two and reduces the Atomic Mass number by four.

Some physicists actually consider it an extremely tilted form of spontaneous fission, with 24He2+ (alpha) being one daughter, and AN-2AMU-4Something being the other daughter.

Beta

Beta- decay starts with the weak interaction that causes a down quark in a neutron to change into an up quark, releasing a W- boson. The neutron becomes a proton, increasing the atomic number by one, and keeping the atomic mass number the same. The W- boson then decays into an electron and an electron antineutrino.

Beta+ decay involves energy, which is used to change an up quark in a proton into a down quark, changing the proton into a neutron, decreasing the atomic number by one, and keeping the atomic mass number the same. It also emits a positron, and an electron neutrino. Sometimes, K capture is involved in order to achieve the extra energy. K capture is when an inner (K) shell electron is absorbed into the nucleus, transferring its energy into the nucleus, followed by reshuffling of the electron cloud. K capture can also occur without beta+ decay.

Gamma

All of the above events, as well as things like fission, fusion, neutron absorbtion, and a few others, can leave the nucleus in an excited state. When it comes back down to ground state, a photon is emitted with an energy that corresponds to the energy level transition of the step that just occurred. This is a gamma ray.

Delayed Gamma

Usually, if there is going to be a gamma event following, say, a beta- event, it occurs quickly, typically within 1 x 10-12 seconds. Some nuclides, however, have a meta stable form where the gamma event is delayed, sometimes for a very long time. In the case of Technetium-99m, for instance, the gamma event has a half-life of 6 hours. This is very useful in the medical field, where Technetium-99m can be tagged to certain biologically sensitive materials, injected, and then scanned, such as for a heart scan, impacting the body with only the gamma and not the beta.

X-Ray

Not asked, but answered for completness and due to its similarity to gamma...

The electron cloud can also become excited, for various reasons, such as K capture, or when an alpha particle flys by and steals an electron. When it does so, it also "wants" to come back to ground state. As each electron comes down in energy, it emits a photon, just like the nucleus does. When this happens, it is called an x-ray. Usually, gamma and x-rays have different energies, but there is some overlap, and it is possible that they can be indistinguishable from each other. For more information on the difference between gamma radiation and x-rays, please see the related question below.

Answer 4

Alpha decay produces an alpha particle, which consists of two protons and two neutrons. This is basically an atom of helium without the two electrons, and is the only way that helium can be produced terrestrially. (The sun produces helium from the nuclear fusion of hydrogen, but that doesn't happen on earth.)

Beta decay produces a beta particle, which is simply an electron. This electron comes from a neutron decaying into a proton and an electron. The proton stays in the nucleus, changing the atom's atomic number and therefore its identity. The electron goes flying.

Gamma radiation produces gamma rays, which have very short wavelengths, high energy, and high penetrating power. Gamma radiation is potentially the most dangerous of all electromagnetic radiation.

Answer 5

Gamma rays are generated by radioactive atoms and in nuclear explosions.

Answer 6

Decay of an unstable atomic nucleus.

Answer 7

From bombs or radioactive materials.