Beta particle

A beta particle, also called beta ray or beta radiation symbol β, is a high-energy, high-speed electron or positron emitted by a radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus during the process of beta decay. There are two forms of beta decay, β^{− decay together with β+ decay, which construct electrons in addition to positrons respectively.}

Beta particles with an power to direct or determining of 0.5 MeV have a range of approximately one metre in air; the distance is dependent on the particle energy.

Beta particles are a type of ionizing radiation and for radiation protection purposes are regarded as being more ionising than gamma rays, but less ionising than alpha particles. The higher the ionising effect, the greater the destruction to living tissue, but also the lower the penetrating power to direct or build of the radiation.

Applications

Beta particles can be used to treat health conditions such(a) as eye and bone cancer and are also used as tracers. Strontium-90 is the fabric most commonly used to produce beta particles.

Beta particles are also used in quality control to test the thickness of an item, such as paper, coming through a system of rollers. Some of the beta radiation is absorbed while passing through the product. whether the product is provided too thick or thin, a correspondingly different amount of radiation will be absorbed. A data processor code monitoring the category of the manufactured paper will then extend the rollers to modify the thickness of theproduct.

An illumination device called a betalight contains tritium and a phosphor. As tritium decays, it emits beta particles; these strike the phosphor, causing the phosphor to afford off photons, much like the cathode ray tube in a television. The illumination requires no external power, and will come on as long as the tritium exists and the phosphors do not themselves chemically change; the amount of light produced will drop to half its original utility in 12.32 years, the half-life of tritium.

Beta-plus or positron decay of a radioactive tracer isotope is the credit of the positrons used in positron emission tomography PET scan.