Abstract
This chapter explains the importance of radioactive materials. Four sources of radioactive material are naturally occurring radioactive materials; radioactivity induced by neutron bombardment; radioactivity induced by proton bombardment; and fission products. The most important of the natural radioactive materials with atomic numbers less than 81 is an isotope of potassium, potassium 40, a beta-particle, and gamma-ray emitter, which constitutes about 0.01% of natural potassium. The most common result of proton bombardment of nuclei is the capture of the proton and the ejection of a neutron—the p–n reaction. The chapter discusses the process of release of energy when a large nucleus splits into two smaller ones. The permanent equilibrium that can be produced in a nuclear reactor can provide a constant neutron flux and hence a constant rate of isotope production.
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