Beta Spectros

Student's Sheet
Printed: 15.08.2017 10:06:16 | P2523200
Beta spectroscopy (Item No.: P2523200)
Curricular Relevance
Subtopic:
Area of Expertise: Education Level: Topic: Experiment:
Nuclear Physics -
Physics University Modern Physics Beta spectroscopy
Radioactivity
Difficulty Preparation Time Execution Time Recommended Group Size
Difficult 1 Hour 2 Hours 2 Students
Additional Requirements: Experiment Variations:
Keywords:
β- decay, β+ decay, electron capture, neutrino, positron, decay diagram, decay energy, resting energy, relativistic Lorentz equation
Overview
Short description
Principle
The radiation of -unstable atomic nuclei is selected on the basis of its pulses in a magnetic transverse field, using a diaphragm
system. The relationship between coil current and particle energy is determined for calibration of the spectrometer and the
decay energy of the -transition is obtained in each case from the -spectra.
Fig. 1: Experimental set-up for determining inductance from the resonant frequency of an oscillatory circuit.
Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

D - 37079 Göttingen Fax: +49 551 604 - 107 www.phywe.com
Student's Sheet
Printed: 15.08.2017 10:06:16 | P2523200
Equipment
Position No. Material Order No. Quantity

1 Beta-spectroscope 09104-00 1
2 Iron core, solid, 25 mm long 06490-01 1
3 Iron core, short, laminated 06500-00 1
4 Iron core, U-shaped, laminated 06501-00 1
5 Clamping device 06506-00 1
6 Coil, 600 turns 06514-01 1
7 Radioactive source Na-22, 74 kBq 09047-52 1
8 Radioactive source Sr-90, 74 kBq 09047-53 1
9 Geiger-Mueller counter tube, 15 mm (type B) 09005-00 1
10 Geiger-Müller-Counter 13606-99 1
11 PHYWE power supply, universal DC: 0...18 V, 0...5 A / AC: 2/4/6/8/10/12/15 V, 5 A 13500-93 1
12 Digital multimeter 2005 07129-00 1
13 Teslameter, digital 13610-93 1
14 Hall probe, tangential, protection cap 13610-02 1
15 Connecting cord, 32 A, 500 mm, red 07361-01 1
16 Connecting cord, 32 A, 500 mm, blue 07361-04 2
Tasks
1. Energy calibration of the magnetic spectrometer.
2. Measurement of the β-spectra of and .
3. Determination of the decay energy of the two isotopes.

Student's Sheet
Printed: 15.08.2017 10:06:16 | P2523200
Set-up and procedure

The experiment is set up as shown in Fig. 1, initially without the source. The iron components must be firmly fixed in position so
as to ensure a satisfactory and constant flow of forces. The zero point has to be adjusted on the magnetic field measuring
instrument, before the tangential Hall probe is introduced through the lateral opening. The relationship between coil current and
magnetic flux density is determined. Measurements are carried out in both directions of the magnetic field (see Fig. 2).
Fig. 2: Calibration of the spectrometer: relationship

between coil current and selected particle energy.
The source and the counter tube are inserted, the Geiger- Müller counter connected and, after establishing the correct direction
of the magnetic field, the counting rate per 10 s measurement period is determined at different field strengths.
The measurement is recorded for both isotopes, determining in each case the zero effect with the source but in opposite
directions of the field.

Student's Sheet
Printed: 15.08.2017 10:06:16 | P2523200
Theory and evaluation

β-particles are selected in the β-spectroscope on the basis of their energy by obliging them to follow a fixed orbit using
diaphragms in a homogeneous magnetic field (Fig. 3 and 4).
Fig. 3: Diaphragm system and magnetically deflected β-particle;

r = orbital radius.
Fig. 4: β-spectroscope: 1) non

magnetisable wall; 2) specimen
entrance; 3) iris; 4) entrance for
tangential Hall probe; 5) counter tube
holder; 6 ) iris.
In this orbit the Lorentz force, due to the magnetic cross-field, and the centrifugal force are in equilibrium:
.
This yields the following expression for the momentum:
The equation for relativistic particles with the momentum is then
in which denotes the total energy of the particles, made up of the kinetic energy and the resting energy

Student's Sheet
Printed: 15.08.2017 10:06:16 | P2523200
The kinetic energy is accordingly.
With a given orbital radius of , it is possible to fix a specific particle energy for each magnetic field strength and for
each current strength.
The process of -decay in the atomic nucleus results in the conversation of a neutron into a proton and an electron ,
which leaves the nucleus, and into an antineutrino which is difficult to detect. The complete decay equation then runs as
follows:
-decay causes the occurrence of a positron, in which case the decay equation will be:
The decay energy is released during the conversion (Figs. 5 and 6).
Fig. 5: Decay diagram of 90Sr
Fig. 6: Decay diagram of 22Na.
Since the neutrino carries with it a proportion of the decay energy, the magnitude of which cannot determined, a continuous
energy distribution occurs in which all the energy values from 0 to occur.
A further characteristic of the β-spectrum is its most frequent energy which will always be one third of the maximum energy:

Student's Sheet
Printed: 15.08.2017 10:06:16 | P2523200
The most frequent energy can be determined with a very much greater accuracy than the maximum energy , since at
the upper end the spectrum passes with a flat slope into the zero effect.
Fig. 7 yields on the basis of the energy spectrum a maximum energy of about = 2500 keV and the following value for
the most frequent energy:
Fig. 7: β-spectrum of 90Sr.
Fig. 8 yields on the basis of the energy spectrum a maximum energy of about = 900 keV and the following value for
the most frequent energy:
Fig. 8: β-spectrum of 22Na.
Notes
1. The direction of the magnetic field will vary in some of the experiments, since the radiation particles have a different sign.
2. More careful examination reveals that the scaling of the spectral intensities is not constant in the measured spectra for the
following reasons:
(a) the interval width per energy measurement is a momentum window and not an energy window.
(b) the probability of response of the counter tube and the resolution of the spectrometer are energy-dependent. The spectra are
as a result distorted, although this does not affect their predictive value in relation to the energies.
3. The greatly intensified background in the spectrum is attributable to the 511 keV annihilation radiation.

Student's Sheet
Printed: 15.08.2017 10:06:16 | P2523200
4. The spectra are made up of several fractions in both cases. In conjunction with the limited resolution of the spectrometer, this
results in a sytsematic measurement error. The most frequent particle energy is in agreement with the theoretical values for
both isotopes within the limits of measurement accuracy.


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Student's Sheet

Printed: 15.08.2017 10:06:16 | P2523200

Beta spectroscopy (Item No.: P2523200)

Difficulty Preparation Time Execution Time Recommended Group Size

Difficult 1 Hour 2 Hours 2 Students

Additional Requirements: Experiment Variations:

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

Position No. Material Order No. Quantity

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

Set-up and procedure

Fig. 2: Calibration of the spectrometer: relationship

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

Theory and evaluation

Fig. 3: Diaphragm system and magnetically deflected β-particle;

Fig. 4: β-spectroscope: 1) non

This yields the following expression for the momentum:

The equation for relativistic particles with the momentum is then

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

The kinetic energy is accordingly.

Fig. 5: Decay diagram of 90Sr

Fig. 6: Decay diagram of 22Na.

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

Fig. 7: β-spectrum of 90Sr.

Fig. 8: β-spectrum of 22Na.

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

Robert-Bosch-Breite 10 Tel: +49 551 604 - 0 [email protected]

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