Radioactivity

Radioactivity, also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration or nuclear disintegration, is the progression by which an unstable atomic nucleus drops energy by radiation. A material comprising unbalanced nuclei is considered radioactive. Three of the most common types of decay are alpha decay (α - decay), beta decay (β-decay), and gamma decay (γ-decay). The present chapter envelops the fundamental understanding of radioactivity. It progresses through the introduction to radioactivity, alpha decay, magnetic spectrometer, determination of energy of α (Alpha) particle, Gamow’s Theory of Alpha decay, beta decay, measurement of energy of beta particle and Neutrino Theory of Beta decay: (Pauli’s Neutrino Hypothesis, Fermi theory of Beta decay, Gamma Decay, Measurement of Gamma γ-Ray Energies.