Chapter 20 Nuclear Physics

Topic 20.9
Interaction
of Radiation
With Matter

Presented by : Jawaria Hassan

1. Interaction of α – particles with Matter
An α particle travels a small distance in a medium before coming to
rest. This distance is called the range of a particle. As the particle
passes through a solid , liquid or gas it loses energy due to excitation
and ionization of atoms and molecules in matter. The ionization may be
due to direct collisions or through electrostatic attraction.
Ionization is the main interaction with the matter to detect the particle
or to measure its energy. The range depends on
1. Charge mass & energy of the particle
2. The density of medium and ionization potential of atoms in that
medium .
Since α particles are 7000 times more massive than
electrons thus it doesn’t suffer any appreciable
deflection from its straight path , provided it does not
approach too closely to the nucleus of the atom. Thus
the α particle continues producing intense ionization
along its straight path till it loses all its energy until it
comes to rest. It , then captures two electros from the
medium and becomes a helium atom
 2. Interaction of β particles with matter
β particles also lose energy by producing ionization . However its
ionization ability is 100 times less than than that of alpha particles . This
occurs because β particles are easily deflected by collisions than
heavier alpha particles. Thus the path of β particles isn’t straight but
much staggered or scattered. The range of β particles is measure by the
effective depth of penetration into the medium and not by the length
of eractive path. If the density of the material is greater than the range
will be shorter. Alpha & beta particles both radiate X-rays photns when
they are slowed down b the electric field of the charged particles in the
solid material.
3. Interation of ϒ – rays with matter
Photons of ϒ rays are being uncharged cause very little ionization.
Photons are removed from a beam of by either scattering or absorption
medium. They interact with matter in three distinct ways , depending
mainly on their energy.
i. At low energies the dominant process removes photons from a
beam which is the photoelectric effect.
ii. At intermediate energies , the dominant process is Compton
scattering.
iii. At higher energies the dominant process is pair production.
In air ϒ rays intensity falls off as the inverse square of the distance from
the source , in the same manner as light from a lamp. In solids the
intensity decreases exponentially with increasing depth of penetration into
the material. The intensity I of a beam after passing through a distance X
0

in the medium is reduced to inetensity I given by the relation I = I e * -μх ,

0

where μ is the linear absorption coefficient of the medium and it depends

on the energy of photon as well as property of the material. .
The particles alpha , beta and gamma procude fluorescence when they
strike substances like zinc-sulphide , sodium iodide etc.
“ Fluorescence is the property of absorbing radiant energy of high
frequency & reemitting energy of low frequency in the visible region of
electromagnetic spectrum “
4. Interaction of neutrons with matter

Neutrons being neutral particles are extremely penetrating

particles . To stop or slow them , neutrons must undergo a
direct collision with the nucleus or a particle that has a
mass comparable to it. Materials such as water or plastic
containing lower mass nuclei per unit volume are used to
stop neutrons. Neutrons produce a little indirect ionization
when they interact with materials containing H-atoms and
knock out protons.
Quiz
1. Which particle produces an indirect ionization while interacting with
a hydrogen containing material.
A. Gamma
B. Neutrons
C. Alpha
D. Beta
2. Which particle produces Fluorescence ?
A. Gamma B. Alpha C. Beta D. All of them
3. Which rays’ photons are uncharged?
A. Alpha
B. Gamma
C. Beta
D. None

4. _______ particle is 7000 times larger than the electron

E. Beta
F. Gamma
G. Neutron
H. Alpha