betapartikelsönderfall

Betapartikelsönderfall, also known as beta decay, is a type of radioactive decay in which a beta particle is emitted from an atomic nucleus. This process transforms one element into another. There are two main types of beta decay: beta-minus decay and beta-plus decay.

In beta-minus decay, a neutron within the nucleus converts into a proton, an electron (the beta-minus particle), and an electron antineutrino. The emitted electron is ejected from the atom with high energy. This process increases the atomic number of the nucleus by one while the mass number remains the same. For example, carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14 by emitting a beta-minus particle.

Beta-plus decay involves the conversion of a proton into a neutron, a positron (the beta-plus particle), and an electron neutrino. A positron is the antiparticle of an electron and has the same mass but a positive charge. This type of decay decreases the atomic number by one, while the mass number stays constant. For instance, fluorine-18 decays into oxygen-18 by emitting a positron.

A less common form of beta decay is electron capture, where an inner atomic electron is captured by a proton in the nucleus, forming a neutron and emitting an electron neutrino. This process has the same net effect on the nucleus as beta-plus decay, decreasing the atomic number by one.

Beta decay is a fundamental process in nuclear physics and plays a role in various natural phenomena, including stellar nucleosynthesis and the generation of terrestrial radioactivity. It is also utilized in applications such as medical imaging and radiocarbon dating. The emitted beta particles can be hazardous due to their ionizing radiation.