ALPHA DECAY: PHYSICAL

BACKGROUND AND PRACTICAL

APPLICATIONS
CONTENTS

Natural radioactivity
General information about α-decay and history
Experimental observations
Theory of Alpha decay
Practical applications

2
 NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
First observations and investigations of the naturally
occurring radioactivitywere performed in Becquerel's
experiments with uranium salts, 1896. The significance of
this phenomenon was perhaps rather overshadowed then by
Rontgen's discovery of X-rays and by Thomson's
demonstration of the existence of the electron.

Four different types of the radioactivity are known:

Type Label Charge, C

Alpha α +2
Beta β- or β+ -1 or +1
3
Gamma & X-ray γ & X-ray Neutral
Neutron n Neutral
 NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
Natural radioactivity is occurring due to the
disintegration or decay of the heavy nuclei with big
numbers of the neutrons and protons. The number of
the disintegrations per time unit is proportional to the
number of nuclei:

dN N dt
N t N 0

exp t
4

ln 2
 GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT 𝛂-DECAY
AND HISTORY

The early experiments of Curie and of Rutherford showed that the

radiations from radioactive substances contained components of
different penetrating power, as assessed by their absorption in
matter.
The less penetrating rays, which were
B
completely absorbed by a few cm of
air were called α-rays. The more
penetrating components, which were
absorbed by about 1 mm of lead were
named β-rays. Both the α- and β-rays
were shown to be corpuscular in
character by magnetic deflection
methods.

Fig. 1. Effect of a transverse magnetic field on radiations [1].

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT 𝛂-DECAY
AND HISTORY

Alpha particles consist of two protons and two

neutrons bound together into a particle identical
to a helium nucleus.
4 He 2 2p
α- 2
particle 2n
α – decay
equation:
A
X
ZZ 2 2
A 4
Y 4
He 2 Q
6
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT 𝛂-DECAY
AND HISTORY
A
X A 4
Z Z 22 Y 4
He 2 Q
Spontaneous alpha decay is allowed when Q>0. The energy
of the emitted alpha particle with mass Mα depends on the
mass of a daughter nucleus, Md:
Md
E Q
Md M
The Q is given in terms of binding energies B by:
4
Q BN 2, Z 2 B 2 He B N , Z
7
B 4
2 He 28.296
MeV
 EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS

The alpha
decay energy
is ranging from
2 to 12 MeV,
the mean value
for all isotopes
is about 6 MeV.

Fig. 1: Experimental values for the alpha decay Q values [2].

EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS
β-stable
isotopes

Fig. 2: Energy release in the α-decay of the heavy elements, showing the
regularities of the ground-state α-decay energies [1].
 EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS

The variation of α-energy of β-stable elements with A is

due to the closure of a neutron shell at N=126 and a
proton shell at Z=82. A maximum in α-decay energy
occurs when two loosely bound nucleons just above a
closed shell are removed by the α-emission. 10
 EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS

A correlation between the lifetime

and energy of the α- particle
emission was noticed by Geiger and
Nuttall as early as 1921:

log a b log R

R v3

1
1
Fig. 4: Decay constant vs. range of a-emitting
nuclei known in 1921 [2].
 EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS
Fine structure in a-ray spectra
was demonstrated in the high
resolution experiments of
Rosenblum (1929) and of
Rutherford. It is due to the
excitation of levels ofresidual
nucleus.

The long-range α-
particles are
associated with
disintegrations of
212
Po
84 82
208 Pb 6.2MeV
an excited state of
the initial nucleus.

12

Fig. 5: Fine structure of α-particle spectra of 212Po. α0 and α1 are the most
intense α-lines. [2].
THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY

Classical Physics
cannot explain how
the particles with
energy of up to 12
MeV canpenetrate
V R [MeV] through the Coulomb
barrier of 20-40 MeV.
V R, 23
2ZA 1/3
8
U 29.7 MeV
92
V R, 10
852
Te 21.8
MeV 13

Fig. 6: A simplified schematic of the Coulomb barrier in the nucleus.

 THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY

By 1928, George Gamow (from Ukraine,

Odessa) had solved the theory of the alpha
decay via tunneling.

The alpha particle is trapped in a potential

well by the nucleus. Classically, it is forbidden
to escape, but according to the
(then) newly discovered principles of
quantum mechanics, it has a tiny
probability of "tunneling" through the
barrier and appearing on the other side to
escape the nucleus.

Gamow solved a model potential for the

nucleus and derived, from first principles, a
relationship between the half-life of the
decay, and the energy of the emission, which 14
had been previously discovered empirically
THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY

α-particle in the nucleus:

r0 R A ikr
B
r
0
e
R e ikr

Fig. 7: A representation of α-particle as a wave

function the amplitude of which decreases behind 15
the Coulomb barrier after the tunneling through it
[1].
 THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY

To explain the tunneling of α-particles

0
x 0 A ikr B
through the Coulomb barrier we can
solve the same but more simple e
problem for the one-dimensional 0, x 0; e ikr
uniform step-barrier. V
V0 , x 0;
a
E

V0
a
0 x 0 2 x a

1 0 x a

0 a X 16

Fig. 7: A schematic of the one-dimensional uniform step-barrier

THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY

The wave function is a solution of the Schrödinger

equation:

d2 2
d 2 m2 E V x
xx
E x 0
V0
0 x 0 2 x a

1 0 x a

0 a X 17

Fig. 7: A schematic of the one-dimensional uniform step-barrier

 THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY

The wave function isa solution of the Schrödinger

equation:

ik0x
A e B e ik0 x , k0 2mE
0 x

00 a 2 m V0 E
1
A1 k1
x
 B1 e 1 kx, k1 , A1 B1
e
x a A 2 e ik2x  B e ik2 x , k
2
2mE
2 2
18
 THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY

The barrier penetration coefficient D represents the decay of

intensity
of the α-particle wave over the barrier region:
2
2
x 2
D a exp 2m 0V
2 a
0 x
E
0the same form for any other barrier, V(r):
The solution has

2 R2
D exp 2m V r E
R1
19

dr
 THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY
The potential energy of the α-particle in Coulomb barrier is:
V0 , r R
V r
, r R
2 4
0
r
2Zecoefficient is [3]:
And the barrier penetration

2 b 2m Ze2 Ze
2
D exp R 2 0r  E dr , b 2 0E

2R V V R V R
2mV R arccos
D exp E E 1 E
R
V R 2ZA 1/3 [MeV]
20
 THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY
If α decay takes place to or from an excited state, the angular
momentum of the α-particle may equal to different values limited
by the nucleus size:

l l 1 R,
2m
where λ
E
and l ≤ 10 are the de Broglie wave of the α-particle and the
orbital moment, respectively. It leads to the increase of the total
potential barrier due to the additional component – angular
momentum barrier of the α-particle [3]:
2l l
Vl r, l
2mr
Vl R, l 12
21
0.002 l l
VCoulomb R
THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY
The barrier penetration coefficient , D, depends on the both
barriers:
2l l 2Ze
V r R, l 2
2mr 4 r0
12 Ze
D exp 2 b 2m r, l E dr , b 2
R V 2 0E

The following approximation can be used for the range of

orbital moment l<7 [3]:

l l 1
D l 0D l 0exp 2.027 Z A 6
3 1/

22
Dl 0
23
8 U D lexp
0 0.0849 l l 1
92
THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY

The decay constant,λ,isproportional to the barrier

penetration coefficient as follows:

P D 1020 D
where P is the probability of the formation of α-particle in
the nucleus and ν is the frequency of the interactions of
α-particle with the nucleus walls.

log A E B

The theoretical prediction for the decay constant has the

23
same form as the empirical low of Geiger and Nuttall.
 THEORY OF ALPHA DECAY
The odd nucleon α-emitters, especially in ground state
transitions, decay at a slower rate than that suggested
by the simple one-body theory.

The decays of the odd nuclei are referred to

“hindered decays” and a “hindrance factor” may be as
defined as the ratio of the measured partial half-life to
the calculated one.
TMeas.

HF Theory [1; 10000]

1/2
T 1/2
The hindered decays can be explained by the detailed
quantum mechanical analysis of the particles
24
formation
. in the nuclei of alpha withdifferent
energies and orbital momenta.
 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Alpha particle sources are used invariety of

practical applications:

Energy
Medicine
Science
Industry

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 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Energy:

X Y Q q

Nuclear battery is a device which uses energy from the decay of a

radioactive isotope to generate electricity. Compared to other batteries
they are very costly, but have extremely long life and high energy density,
and so they are mainly used as power sources for equipment that must
operate unattended for long periods of time, such as spacecraft,
pacemakers, underwater systems and automated scientific stations in
remote parts of the world. First industrial batteries were developed in
26
1954.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Energy:
X Y Q q
dQ
i eff

dt w
As an example, the
composed nuclear
battery VERIIT was
developed in Kharkiv
Institute of Physics
and Technology,
27
2011, Ukraine [4]. It is
based on the
transformation of
 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Medicine:

The 𝛂-particles emitted by isotope of radium (233Ra, half-life 11.4

days) for example, can be directly injected in tiny quantities into
tumourous tissue to directly irradiate and kill cancer cells, an
excellent medical use of an alpha emitter. Since they are not very
penetrating, there is less chance of damaging healthy cells.

This is an example of internal radionuclide therapy.

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 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Science:

The monoenergetic 𝛂-particles emitted by 210Po (Eα =

5.3 MeV (100%), T1/2 = 138.3 d) for example, canbe
used for the energy calibration of alpha- 29
spectrometric
detectors (surface barrier detectors).
 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Industry:

The α-particle sources is used in the smoke detectors because the α-

particles have small penetration depth in the air and its sensitive to the
density change of the gaseous environment.

The nuclear reaction (α, n) is used to generate neutrons that can be used
in the down hole applications, for NDT devices, in nuclear materials
identification systems, etc. The neutron emission for Am-Be source is
~2.2 x 106 n/s per Ci

30
E 1.7 MeV 9 Be 12 C n 5.71
 REFERENCES
1 W.E. Burcham. Nuclear physics: an introduction.
Longman.; 1973.
2 B.A. Brown. Lecture notes in nuclear structure physics.
Michigan State University.; 2005
3 K.N. Mukhin. Nuclear physics. Macdonald & Co.; 1970.
4 V.I. Karas, S.I. Kononenko, V.I. Muratov, V.T. Tolok,
New type radionuclide battery VERIIT for the space
applications (Report), Kharkiv Institute of Physics and
Technology, 2011.

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