Exam 1 Review Sheet: Basic Atomic and Nuclear Physics

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Basic Atomic and Nuclear Physics relevant for Exam 1.

Nuclear Binding Energy

The energy required to disassemble a nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Isotones

Atoms that have the same number of neutrons but different numbers of protons.

Isobars

Atoms that have the same mass number but different atomic numbers.

Isomers

Atoms that have the same number of protons and neutrons but different energy states.

Stability Belt

A graphical representation showing the stability of nuclides based on their neutron-to-proton ratios.

Positron Emission

A mode of radioactive decay wherein a proton is transformed into a neutron, emitting a positron.

DICOM

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine; a standard for transmitting, storing, and sharing medical images.

PACS

Picture Archiving and Communication System; a medical imaging technology used for storing, transmitting, and viewing images.

Standard Deviation

A measure of the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.

Median

The middle value in a list of numbers, which separates the higher half from the lower half.

Mode

The value that appears most frequently in a data set.

Photoelectric Absorption

An interaction process in which a photon is completely absorbed by an atom, resulting in the ejection of an electron.

Auger Electron

An electron that is emitted from an atom as a result of the relaxation of another excited electron.

Pair Production

A process where a photon transforms into a particle-antiparticle pair, usually an electron and a positron.

Scintillation

The process of light emission from a material when it absorbs ionizing radiation.

Energy Resolution

A measure of a detector's ability to distinguish between different energies of incoming radiation.

Well Counter

A detector designed to measure the activity of radioactive samples by capturing radiation within a well-shaped cavity.

Dose Calibrator

A device used to measure the radioactivity of a radiopharmaceutical, ensuring doses fall within a standard range.

Kalichk Method

A method of testing the linearity of a dose calibrator by using a series of known activity sources.

Recombination

The process wherein charged particles in a gas phase recombine after ionization.

Semiconductor Detector

A type of radiation detector that uses semiconductor materials to detect and measure radiation.

Nuclear Binding Energy

The energy required to disassemble a nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Isotones

Atoms that have the same number of neutrons but different numbers of protons.

Isobars

Atoms that have the same mass number but different atomic numbers.

Isomers

Atoms that have the same number of protons and neutrons but different energy states.

Stability Belt

A graphical representation showing the stability of nuclides based on their neutron-to-proton ratios.

Positron Emission

A mode of radioactive decay wherein a proton is transformed into a neutron, emitting a positron.

DICOM

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine; a standard for transmitting, storing, and sharing medical images.

PACS

Picture Archiving and Communication System; a medical imaging technology used for storing, transmitting, and viewing images.

Standard Deviation

A measure of the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.

Median

The middle value in a list of numbers, which separates the higher half from the lower half.

Mode

The value that appears most frequently in a data set.

Photoelectric Absorption

An interaction process in which a photon is completely absorbed by an atom, resulting in the ejection of an electron.

Auger Electron

An electron that is emitted from an atom as a result of the relaxation of another excited electron.

Pair Production

A process where a photon transforms into a particle-antiparticle pair, usually an electron and a positron.

Scintillation

The process of light emission from a material when it absorbs ionizing radiation.

Energy Resolution

A measure of a detector's ability to distinguish between different energies of incoming radiation.

Well Counter

A detector designed to measure the activity of radioactive samples by capturing radiation within a well-shaped cavity.

Dose Calibrator

A device used to measure the radioactivity of a radiopharmaceutical, ensuring doses fall within a standard range.

Kalichk Method

A method of testing the linearity of a dose calibrator by using a series of known activity sources.

Recombination

The process wherein charged particles in a gas phase recombine after ionization.

Semiconductor Detector

A type of radiation detector that uses semiconductor materials to detect and measure radiation.

Compton Scattering

An interaction where an incident photon scatters off a free or loosely bound outer shell electron, transferring part of its energy to the electron.

Alpha Decay

A type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle (a helium nucleus), transforming into a different atomic nucleus.

Beta-minus Decay

A type of radioactive decay in which a neutron is transformed into a proton, emitting an electron (beta particle) and an antineutrino.

Half-life

The time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.

Activity

The rate at which radioactive decays occur in a given sample, commonly measured in Becquerels (Bq) or Curies (Ci).

Ionization Chamber

A gas-filled radiation detector that measures radiation by collecting ions produced when radiation passes through a gas.

Geiger-Müller Counter

A radiation detector that produces a large, measurable electrical pulse for each detected radiation particle, operating in the Geiger-Müller region.