Radioisotopy

Radioisotopy is the study of radioactive isotopes and their relationships within isotopic systems. It focuses on the properties of radioisotopes—the unstable variants of elements that decay by emitting radiation—and on how these properties enable their use as tracers, dating tools, or therapeutic agents. The term is sometimes used to denote the broader analysis of how different isotopes of an element relate through production, decay, and detection.

Core concepts include half-life, decay modes (alpha, beta, gamma), and decay chains, in which a parent isotope decays to one or more daughters. Isotopic abundances evolve over time according to known rates, enabling radiometric dating and tracing in physics, chemistry, geology, and biology. Radioisotopes are produced in reactors or accelerators and then chemically or physically separated for use.

Analytical techniques include gamma, alpha, and beta spectroscopy; and mass spectrometry for isotopic ratios. Instruments such as gamma-ray spectrometers and radiochemical counters, along with accelerator mass spectrometry, provide measurements of activity and isotopic composition.

Applications span medicine (diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy), industry (tracers for hydrology and process control), science (dating methods like carbon-14 and radiometric age dating), and environmental monitoring.

Safety and regulation require shielding, monitoring, and proper handling to minimize exposure, with licensing under national and international guidelines. Radioisotopy intersects with nuclear physics, chemistry, and health physics, and its methods are implemented within established regulatory frameworks.