Radioactive Decay of Transuranic Elements

1. Radioactive Decay of Transuranic Elements By Prayush Singh

2. Introduction to Radioactive Decay • Radioactive decay is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting ionizing particles or radiation. The emission is spontaneous in that the nucleus decays without collision with another particle. This decay, or loss of energy, results in an atom of one type, called the parent nuclide, transforming to an atom of a different type, named the daughter nuclide. • 2 main types of radiation in decay of transuranic elements – • Alpha, and • Beta radiation.

3. Alpha particles  consist of two protons and two neutrons. When an atom emits an alpha particle, the atom's mass number decreases by four due to the loss of the four nucleons in the alpha particle. The atomic number of the atom goes down by exactly two, as a result of the loss of two protons – the atom becomes a new element.

4. Beta particles are high-energy, high-speed electrons or positrons emitted during radioactive decay. There are two forms of beta decay, β− and β+, which respectively emit the electron and the positron.

5. Radioactive Decay of Plutonium-239Over the course of 80.8 Million Years Plutonium-239(half-life: 24,110)alpha decay Protactinium-231(half-life: 32,700 years)alpha decay Actinium(half-life:21.8 years)beta decay Uranium-235 (half-life: 704,000,000)alpha decay Thorium-231(half-life: 25.2 hours)beta decay Thorium-227(half-life: 18.72 days)alpha decay Radium-233(half-life:11.43 days)alpha decay Radon-219(half-life: 3.96 seconds)alpha decay Thallium-207(half-life: 4.77 minutes)beta decay Lead-211(half-life: 36.1 minutes)beta decay Bismuth-211(half-life: 2.15 minutes)alpha decay Lead-207(stable) Polonium-215(half-life: 1.78 milliseconds)alpha decay