Nuclear & Radiochemistry
60 terms · page 1 of 3
Alpha Decay
Radioactive decay in which a nucleus emits a helium-4 nucleus, losing two protons and two neutrons.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryArtificial Radioactivity
Radioactivity in nuclides created by bombarding stable nuclei with particles rather than found in nature.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryBackground Radiation
The ionising radiation always present in the environment from natural and artificial sources.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryBand of Stability
The region on a plot of neutron number against proton number within which stable nuclides are found.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryBecquerel
The SI unit of radioactivity, equal to one nuclear disintegration per second.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryBeta-Minus Decay
Radioactive decay in which a neutron converts into a proton, emitting an electron and an antineutrino.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryBinding Energy per Nucleon
The nuclear binding energy divided by the number of nucleons, measuring the stability of a nucleus.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryBreeder Reactor
A reactor that produces more fissile material than it consumes by converting fertile nuclides.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryCloud Chamber
A device that reveals the paths of ionising particles as visible trails of condensed vapour.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryControl Rod
A movable rod of neutron-absorbing material used to regulate the rate of a nuclear chain reaction.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryCritical Mass
The minimum mass of fissile material needed to sustain a nuclear chain reaction.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryCurie
The older unit of radioactivity, defined as the activity of one gram of radium-226.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryDecay Constant
The probability per unit time that a given nucleus will decay.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryElectron Capture
Radioactive decay in which a nucleus absorbs an inner-shell electron, converting a proton into a neutron.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryGamma Emission
The release of high-energy electromagnetic radiation from a nucleus dropping to a lower energy state.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryGeiger–Müller Counter
An instrument that detects ionising radiation through the avalanche of ionisation it triggers in a low-pressure gas.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryGray
The SI unit of absorbed radiation dose, equal to one joule of energy deposited per kilogram of matter.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryIonising Radiation
Radiation with enough energy to remove electrons from atoms, creating ions.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryIsotope Dilution Analysis
A quantitative technique in which a known amount of labelled isotope is added and the resulting dilution measured.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryLaw of Radioactive Decay
The principle that the rate of decay is proportional to the number of undecayed nuclei present.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryMagic Numbers
Particular numbers of protons or neutrons that give a nucleus exceptional stability.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryMass Defect
The difference between the mass of a nucleus and the sum of the masses of its constituent nucleons.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryModerator
A material used in a reactor to slow fast neutrons to energies at which fission is far more probable.
Nuclear & RadiochemistryNeutron Emission
The direct ejection of a neutron from an extremely neutron-rich nucleus.