Artificial Radioactivity

Artificial Radioactivity

Sometimes radioactivity created artificially in elements that are called as artificial radioactivity. Artificial radioactivity can be created in two ways.

1. Artificial transmutation
2. Induced transmutation

Artificial transmutation
The conversion of one element into another by artificial means is known as artificial transmutation. It first observed in 1919 by Rutherford during the bombardment of alpha particles on the nucleus of nitrogen to form oxygen isotope and proton.

₇N¹⁴ +₂He⁴ → ₈O¹⁷ +₁H¹

Later in 1932 the discovery of neutrons by James Chadwick was also an application of artificial transmutation in which he used the bombardment of alpha particles on the nucleus of beryllium to form neutron and carbon nucleus.

₄Be⁹ + ₂He⁴ → ₆C¹² + ₀n¹

Artificial transmutation can be done by using several particles like; alpha particles, neutrons , deuteron and protons. For example,

1. ₄Be⁰ + ₂He⁴ → ₆C¹² + ₀n¹
2. ₉₄Pu²³⁹ + ₂He⁴ → ₉₄Cm²⁴² + ₀n¹
3. ₉F¹⁹ + ₂He⁴ → ₁₀Ne²² + ₁H¹
4. ₇N¹⁴ + ₂He⁴ → ₈O¹⁷ + ₁H¹
5. ₂₆Fe⁵⁹ + ₂He⁴ → ₂₉Cu⁶³ + _–1e⁰
6. ₁₅P³¹ + ₁H¹→ ₁₆S³¹ + ₀n¹
7. ₆C¹² + ₁H¹ → N¹³ + γ
8. ₄Be⁹ + ₁H¹ → ₄Be⁸ + ₁H²
9. ₈O¹⁶ + ₁H¹ → ₇N¹³ + ₂He⁴
10. ₁₃Al²⁷ + ₀n¹ → ₁₂Mg²⁷ + ₁H¹
11. ₈O¹⁶ + ₀n¹ → ₆C¹³ + ₂He⁴
12. ₉₂U²³⁸ + ₀n¹ → ₉₂U²³⁸ + λ
13. ₈O¹⁸ + ₀n¹ → ₉F¹⁹ + _–1e⁰
14. ₃Li⁶ + ₁H² → 3Li7 + ₁H¹
15. ₃₂As⁷⁵ + ₁H² → ₃₂As⁷⁶ + ₁H¹
16. ₄Be⁹ + γ → ₄Be⁸ + ₀n¹