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Positron emission vs electron capture12/27/2023 ![]() The process leaves a vacancy in the electron energy level from which the electron came, and that vacancy is either filled by the dropping down of a higher-level electron with the emission of an X-ray or by the ejection of an outer electron in a process called the Auger effect.Įlectron capture is a process which involves the weak interaction and can be represented by a Feynman diagram. The capture of the electron by a proton in the nucleus is accompanied by the emission of a neutrino. The electron orbit radii are tens of thousands of times the diameter of the nucleus.Ī typical example is the decay of beryllium 7 4 Be + 0 -1 e → 7 3 Li + ν This is a schematic that grossly distorts the picture relative to a scale model of the atom. Most commonly, it is a K-shell electron which is captured, and this is referred to as K-capture. This is a process which competes with positron emission and has the same effect on the atomic number. A parent nucleus may capture one of its orbital electrons and emit a neutrino. ![]() Internal conversion is the use of electromagnetic energy from the nucleus to expel an orbital electron from the atom.Įlectron capture is one form of radioactivity. They both show a characteristic energy spectrum because of the emission of a neutrino or antineutrino. Positron or positive beta decay: Positron emission is called beta decay because the characteristics of electron or positron decay are similar. This is exhibited in the potassium-argon decay. While the most common types of radioactive decay are by alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, several other varieties of radioactivity occur:Įlectron capture: A parent nucleus may capture one of its own electrons and emit a neutrino. Gamma radiation is the most useful type of radiation for medical purposes, but at the same time it is the most dangerous because of its ability to penetrate large thicknesses of material. Most gamma rays are somewhat higher in energy than x-rays and therefore are very penetrating. It is distinguished from x-rays only by the fact that it comes from the nucleus. Gamma radioactivity is composed of electromagnetic rays.
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