The title is simply my question. I know that alpha and beta radiation does not emit any type of photon, but all radioactive materials seems to emit some type of em radiation.
Why is this?
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1$\begingroup$ Perhaps you're confusing decay products with secondary excitations caused as those high-energy (particles) collide with other, non-radiating atoms in the bulk material? $\endgroup$– Carl WitthoftDec 22, 2020 at 13:58
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$\begingroup$ @CarlWitthoft How would these secondary excitations proceed if the radioactive material decays via beta emission? $\endgroup$– Tom BushellDec 22, 2020 at 14:08
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2 Answers
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Do read the link:
Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive. Three of the most common types of decay are alpha decay, beta decay, and gamma decay, all of which involve emitting one or more particles or photons. The weak force is the mechanism that is responsible for beta decay.
Bold mine.Gamma are the photons. They appear in some decays, not always.
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$\begingroup$ Really nice answer. Can you please tell me do you think my answer is correct here: physics.stackexchange.com/questions/602907/… $\endgroup$ Dec 25, 2020 at 22:09
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Photon emission are just changes of excitation levels. It would be extremily unprobable that radioactivity would produce only material close to fondamental level, at equilibrium. radiactive materials are producing excitated atoms, which relaxed to equilibrium states by emission of photons.
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$\begingroup$ @CarlWitthoft - a bit harsh since there are many (many many) examples where a (or one of several possible) gamma is emitted from an excited state of the daughter product. Co-60 is one, featured in many questions on this site. I’d go as far to say the vast majority of gamma emissions are from such states in natural radioactivity. $\endgroup$ Dec 22, 2020 at 14:52
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$\begingroup$ @CarlWitthoft : radioactive materials emits through the radioactive disintegration, but also through all the secondary processes. Photon emission results in "excited element -> lower excitated element + photon" in a very generic way. $\endgroup$ Dec 22, 2020 at 17:13