Abstract
In 1896, Henri Becquerel first discovered natural radioactivity in potassium uranyl sulfate. Artificial radioactivity was not produced until 1934, when I. Curie and F. Joliot made boron, aluminum, and magnesium radioactive by bombarding them with α-particles from polonium.This introduction of artificial radioactivity prompted the invention of cyclotrons and reactors in which many radionuclides are now produced. So far, more than 3,400 radionuclides have been artificially produced and characterized in terms of their physical properties.
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Notes
- 1.
The difference between a β−-particle and an electron is that a β−-particle originates from the nucleus, and an electron originates from the extranuclear electron orbitals.
Suggested Readings
Evans RD. The Atomic Nucleus. Malabar, FL: Kreiger; 1982.
Friedlander G, Kennedy JW, Miller JM. Nuclear and Radiochemistry. 3rd ed. New York: Wiley; 1981.
Turner JE. Atoms, Radiation, and Radiation Protection. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley; 1995.
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Saha, G.B. (2013). Radioactive Decay. In: Physics and Radiobiology of Nuclear Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4012-3_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4012-3_2
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