Nuclear & Radiochemistry
6 terms
Background Radiation
Nuclear & Radiochemistry
mSv/year
The ionising radiation always present in the environment from natural and artificial sources.
Band of Stability
Nuclear & Radiochemistry
Dimensionless
The region on a plot of neutron number against proton number within which stable nuclides are found.
Becquerel
Nuclear & Radiochemistry
Bq
The SI unit of radioactivity, equal to one nuclear disintegration per second.
1 Bq = 1 s⁻¹
Beta-Minus Decay
Nuclear & Radiochemistry
MeV
Radioactive decay in which a neutron converts into a proton, emitting an electron and an antineutrino.
n → p + e⁻ + ν̄
Binding Energy per Nucleon
Nuclear & Radiochemistry
MeV/nucleon
The nuclear binding energy divided by the number of nucleons, measuring the stability of a nucleus.
BE/A
Breeder Reactor
Nuclear & Radiochemistry
Dimensionless
A reactor that produces more fissile material than it consumes by converting fertile nuclides.
²³⁸U + n → ²³⁹Pu