Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Tab l e 3 . 1
Formulas for Energy Release,
Q
, in Terms of Mass
Differences,
P
and
D
, of Parent and Daughter Atoms
Type of decay
Formula
Reference
α
Q
α
=
P
-
D
-
He
Eq. (3.13)
-
β
Q
=
P
-
D
Eq. (3.25)
-
β
γ
Q
IT
=
P
-
D
Eq. (3.30)
EC
Q
EC
=
P
-
D
-
E
B
Eq. (3.35)
+
D
-2
mc
2
β
Q
=
P
-
Eq. (3.41)
+
β
This completes the description of the various types of radioactive decay. The for-
mulas for finding the energy release
Q
from the mass differences
of the parent
and daughter atoms are summarized in Table 3.1.
3.9
Suggested Reading
1
Attix, F. H.,
Introduction to Radiolog-
ical Physics and Radiation Dosimetry
,
Wiley, New York, NY (1986). [Types of
radioactive disintegrations and decay
schemes are discussed in Chapter 5.]
2
Cember, H.,
Introduction to Health
Physics
, 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill, New
York, NY (1996). [See especially Chap-
ter 4 on radioactivity.]
3
Evans, R. D.,
The Atomic Nucleus
,
McGraw-Hill, New York, NY (1955).
[A comprehensive and classic text.]
4
Faw, R. E., and Shultis, J. K.,
Radiolog-
ical Assessment
, Prentice-Hall, Engle-
wood Cliffs, NJ (1993). [Appendix B
gives detailed decay-scheme data for
some 200 radionuclides.]
5
Glasstone, S.,
Sourcebook on Atomic
Energy,
3rd ed., D. Van Nostrand,
Princeton, NJ (1967). [Describes
much of the development of nuclear
physics.]
6
Martin,J.E.,
Physics for Radiation
Protection
, John Wiley, New York, NY
(2006). [Treats basic physics to deal
with practical problems in radiation
protection. Much useful data on ra-
dioactivity and radionuclides for the
practitioner.]
7
Walker, Philip M. and Carroll,
James J., “Ups and Downs of Nuclear
Isomers,”
Physics Today
58
(6), 39-44
(2005).
A wealth of information and detailed data on radioactivity, decay schemes, iso-
topes, and related subjects is available through key-word searches on the World
Wide Web. One extensive source, for example, with links to a number of re-
lated sites, is Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Isotope Project Home Page,
http://ie.lbl.gov.
