Alpha particles are heavier. Neutrons are approximately equal in mass to the proton and have no electric charge. A nuclide is a species of atom characterized by the constitution of its nucleus, as specified by the number of protons, the number of neutrons, and the energy content. A radionuclide is a nuclide that spontaneously emits radiation in the form of electromagnetic or particulate radiation. The emission of radiation by atoms is complex.
Positron emission results in the production of gamma photons.
Different atoms of a given radionuclide may emit different combinations of radiation types, or emissions of the same type but differing in energy or frequency. Ionization Understanding the ionization concept is fundamental to understanding how radiation causes changes and damage to the material with which it interacts and how radiation may be detected. Ionizing radiation , whether electromagnetic or particulate, differs from other kinds of radiation in that it may add enough energy to atoms to eject electrons from their orbits, leaving charged atoms or ions . On the molecular scale, ionization may break bonds and disrupt normal biochemical processes. One consequence is the formation of highly reactive free radicals.