What is the decay constant for Cs-137?
Cs decays with a half-life of (30.05 ± 0.08) years [4] to either the 137Ba ground state, with emission of a β particle (Q = 1176 keV, 5.3%), or to 137mBa (Q = 514 keV, 94.7%) which rapidly (t1/2 = 2.552 min) decays to the 137Ba ground state with emission of a 661.7 keV γ photon.
Is Cs-137 an alpha beta or gamma emitter?
Caesium 137 is a radioactive element with a relatively long half-life of 30.15 years. This particular isotope of caesium is both a beta and gamma emitter. It is produced in some abundance by fission reactions.
What is the specific activity of Cs-137?
Specific activity of Cs-137 is 3.2 10^12 Bq/g.
What has happened to the Caesium 137 that was released in the Chernobyl accident in the last 30 years?
A French respected intitution, the IRSN, estimates that that 80,000 cesium-137 terabecquerels were released into the environment, i.e. 30 to 40% of the amount present in the the damaged reactor core. Caesium had disappeared since a long time from the atmosphere after its deposition on the ground.
How long will it take for all the cesium-137 to decay into barium 137?
Cesium-137 emits beta particles as it decays to the barium isotope, Ba-137m (half life = 2.6 minutes).
What does cesium-137 do to the human body?
External exposure to large amounts of Cs-137 can cause burns, acute radiation sickness, and even death. Exposure to Cs-137 can increase the risk for cancer because of exposure to high-energy gamma radiation.
What type of radiation is Cs-137?
gamma rays
A Cs-137 atom emits radiation in the form of medium energy gamma rays, and to a lesser extent, high-energy beta particles, which disrupt molecules in cells and deposits energy in tissues, causing damage.
What is the use of cesium-137?
In larger amounts, Cs-137 is used in medical radiation therapy devices for treating cancer; in industrial gauges that detect the flow of liquid through pipes; and in other industrial devices to measure the thickness of materials, such as paper, photographic film, or sheets of metal.
Why is barium 137 Safe?
The parent isotope Cs-137 with a half-life of 30.1 years beta decays (94.6%) to the metastable state of Ba-137m. Approximately 30 minutes after elution, the residual activity of the Ba-137m sample has decayed to less than one thousandth of its initial activity, making it safe for disposal.
How does Cs-137 55 CS 82.1 decay?
137 55 Cs 82. 1 Decay Scheme. Cs-137 disintegrates by beta minus emission to the ground state of Ba-137 (5,6 %) and via the 661 keV isomeric level of Ba-137 (94,4 %) which has a half-life of 2,55 min.
How does Cesium 137 decay in the environment?
Cesium-137 decays in the environment by emitting beta particles. As noted above, cesium-137 decays to a short lived decay product, barium-137m. The latter isotope emits gamma radiation of moderate energy, which further decays to a stable form of barium.
How does Cs-137 disintegrate to the ground state?
LNE – LNHB/CEA – Table de Radionucl´eides. 137 55 Cs 82. 1 Decay Scheme. Cs-137 disintegrates by beta minus emission to the ground state of Ba-137 (5,6 %) and via the 661 keV isomeric level of Ba-137 (94,4 %) which has a half-life of 2,55 min.
What is the half life of Cs 137?
Cs-137 disintegrates by beta minus emission to the ground state of Ba-137 (5,6 %) and via the 661 keV isomeric level of Ba-137 (94,4 %) which has a half-life of 2,55 min.