Nuclear Medicine Physics

314 RAD-2
Dr. Ali Alshehri
Email: ahzafer@nu.edu.sa
 What is radiation?
Radiation is a general term use to describe
emission and transmission of energy through
space in the form of waves, including charged
and uncharged particles as well as
electromagnetic radiation.
Radiation is everywhere!
 Types of radiation
Radiation consists of two types: ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

▪ Ionizing radiation causes ionization

▪ Non-ionizing radiation does not cause ionization when it interacts
with matter.
Types of Ionizing Radiation

X-Ray and gamma radiation are part of the

electromagnetic spectrum....
 Ionizing radiation
o X-rays:

o Gamma-rays:

o Alpha particles (α):

o Beta particles (β-):

o Positrons (β+):
Perspex

+ Alpha
+

- Beta
Gamma rays,
X rays

Tissue
 What is radiation?
Diagnostic imaging in the hospital…

• X-ray

• Ultrasound

• Computed Tomography (CT)

• Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI)

• Nuclear Medicine
CONTENTS

Review basic Understand Understand Types of

science (Atomic why and how concepts of emitted
& Nuclear radionuclides exponential radiation
structure) decay decay, half-
lives
Decay modes & Particulate &
nuclear stability Electromagnetic

01 02 03 04
Some Technical Terms...
● Atomic Number
● Atomic Mass
● Nuclide
● Isotope
● Radiation
– Particles (alpha, beta)
– Photons (X- , gamma-rays)
 Atomic structure

➢ Elements arranged according to their atomic

weight
➢ Central positive nucleus with surrounding in the
orbits negatively charged electrons

o In Nucleus:
o Neutrons (neutral)
o Protons (+)
o Elementary Electrons (-)
 Elementary Particles...

Particle Symbol Charge Mass Stability

Proton p +1 1.00759 stable

Neutron n 0 1.00898 unstable

Electron e -1 0.00055 stable

Positron e+ +1 0.00055 unstable

 Nuclear Structure

• Use the simplest model possible of the atomic nucleus

• – to explain mechanisms of radioactive decay.

• Regard nucleus as a collection of elementary particles

• – present in different proportions and held together by
unspecified forces
 Nuclear Structure
– ‘Bohr’ Model

1. Electrons can exist only in those orbits for which the angular momentum of the
electron is an integral multiple of h/2π, where h is Planck’s constant (6.62 X
10-34 J-s)
2. No energy is gained or lost while the electron remains in any one of the
permissible orbits

3. The maximum number of electrons in an orbit is given by 2n2, where n is the orbit number
(L=2, M=8, N=18 etc)
 Nuclear Structure

Neutral atom: number of electrons is equal to protons

A
where: Z X
X - chemical symbol of element
A - mass number = number of protons + number of neutrons
Z - atomic number = number of protons
Atomic Number:
• Z = number of protons in the nucleus

Neutron Number:
• N = number of neutrons in the nucleus

Mass Number: A = Z + N
 Nucleus
• Nucleons: number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
• Isotopes: atoms having the same number of protons but different number of
neutrons
• Isotones: atoms having same number of neutrons but different number of
protons
• Isobars: atoms having same number of nucleons but different number of
protons
• Isomers: atoms having the same number of protons as well as neutrons but
differ in their nuclear energy states
 Isotopes
▪ Equal number of protons but different number of
neutrons.
✓ Isotopes of any element may also be called
nuclides.
 Isotone
▪ Atoms having same number of neutrons but different
number of protons.
▪ The word "isotone" looks like Greek for "same
stretching", but it actually is "isotope" with "p" for
"proton" replaced by "n" for "neutron".

▪ For examples, Boron-12 and Carbon-13 both have 7

neutrons.
▪ For examples, S-36, Cl-37, Ar-38, K-39, Ca-40, these
nuclei contain 20 neutrons each.
 Isobars
▪ Atoms having same number of nucleons but
different number of protons.
 Isomers
▪ Atoms having the same number of protons as
well as neutrons but differ in their nuclear
energy states.
▪ Identical atoms except they differ in their
nuclear energy states.
 Electron Volts
Energy of a single alpha, beta or gamma ray is measured in ELECTRON VOLTS

1 electron volt = 1 eV
1 thousand electron volts = 1 keV
1 million electron volts = 1 MeV

The MeV is often used as the unit of energy in radiation work instead of the Joule,
photon wavelength (nanometre), etc.
➢ The relation is: 1 eV = 1.6 x 10-19 Joule,
1 MeV = 1.6 x 10-13 Joule
Conclusion
● Radiation is energy that comes from a source and travels through space at
the speed of light.
● Two types of radiation: ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation.
● Atomic structure: neutrons (neutral), protons (+) and electrons (-).
● Nucleons: isotopes, isotones, isobars and isomers.
● Electron volt - the unit of energy in radiation.
RESOURCES

• R Fernandez, Nuclear Structure & Radioactivity, Ch. 2,

Sampson’s Textbook of Radiopharmacy, 4th edition, 2010

• British Pharmacopoeia, Radiopharmaceuticals, Volume II,

2000
• G Longworth, Introduction, Ch. 1, The Radiochemical
Manual, AEA Technology, 1998
 THANKS
Does anyone have any questions?
Q1: Electrons are positioned:

1 2 3 4

Inside the Outside the Both inside Neither inside

nucleus nucleus and outside or outside
the nucleus
 Q2: Mass Number is defined as:

1 2 3 4

The number of protons The number of The complement The number of

plus the number of neutrons in a of the Atomic protons in a
neutrons in a nucleus nucleus Number nucleus
Q3: Atomic Number is defined as:

1 2 3 4

The inverse of The number of The number of The number of

the Mass protons plus the protons in a neutrons in a
Number number of neutrons nucleus nucleus
in a nucleus
Q4: The number of protons in a nucleus is expressed by the symbol:

1 2 3 4

A Z X M
Q5: 1 million electron volts =

1 2 3 4

1 KeV 1 MeV 1 eV 1 joule