Alpha, beta, gamma, neutron, and proton radiation all have different effects on

Question

Alpha, beta, gamma, neutron, and proton radiation all have different effects on the stability of buildings and structures due to how they affect the composition of materials.

a) Neutron radiation is usually considered to be the least damaging to building materials. Explain why in terms of its effect on atomic and nucleon numbers.

b) Proton, alpha and gamma radiation are usually considered to be the most damaging to the structural integrity of building materials. Explain why in terms of their effect on atomic and nucleon numbers.

Explanation / Answer

(a) Neutron radiation consists of free neutrons which are created after spontaneous or induced nuclear fission reactions. Since these particles are heavy but have zero charge, they donot pocess the capability of directly ionizing any material, but due to their energy they have very high penetration power. Neutrons most commonly indirectly ionize other material, ie. they create unstable isotopes of materials, which decay to give off to give alpha, beta particles or gamma radiations which in turn ionizes other atoms. Building materials, basically concrete and water is hydrogen rich materials. They prove valuable for neutron shielding, since hydrogen has absorbtion cross section of 0.3 barns, and can be ( infact is used) to slow down fast moving neutrons thus preventing it from offsetting other forms of radiations.

(b) Alpha particles which are basically hellium neuclei, have 2 protons and 2 neutrons, thus they are heavy and as well as have charge. They lack great penetration capability but have a high degree of capacity to isonise atoms ( i.e create ions) and break the structural integrity. When interacting with another nucleus, the alpha particle increases the nucleon number by 4 ( i.e 2 protons and 2 neutrons ) thus there is a deficiency of 2 electrons and hence a +2 charge ion is created. Even though such structures are highly unstable and breaks off.

Same for beta particles, infact beta particles being effectively electrons are lighter and hence have greater penetration power than that of alpha particles, but pocess a similar capapbility of ionising atoms and hence breaking the structural integrity. They doonot increase nucleon number, but on bombardment, the target neuclei results in having an extra electron and hence a -1 charge anion is created.

Gamma rays on the other hand are mass less charge less, and are effectively high energy photons. Due to them being highly energetic they can penetrate far deeper than radiations stated above, while they also pocess the power to ionise as well as knock off electron from atomic shells, thus creating holes or structural deformity( anomalies )

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