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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Sign up to join this communityThe 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?
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.
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.