Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Nuclear Transmutation03:20

Nuclear Transmutation

20.8K
Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed...
20.8K
Isotopes and Radioisotopes01:28

Isotopes and Radioisotopes

13.3K
In the early 1900s, English chemist Frederick Soddy realized that an element could have atoms with different masses that were chemically indistinguishable. These different types are called isotopes — atoms of the same element that differ in mass. Isotopes differ in mass because they have different numbers of neutrons but are chemically identical because they have the same number of protons. Soddy was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921 for this discovery.
An isotope containing...
13.3K
Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations03:18

Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations

27.9K
Nuclear chemistry is the study of reactions that involve changes in nuclear structure. The nucleus of an atom is composed of protons and, except for hydrogen, neutrons. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number (Z) of the element, and the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are isotopes of the same element.
A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...
27.9K
Nuclear Stability03:18

Nuclear Stability

23.6K
Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
To hold positively charged protons together...
23.6K
Types of Radioactivity03:23

Types of Radioactivity

20.0K
The most common types of radioactivity are α decay, β decay, γ decay, neutron emission, and electron capture.
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
20.0K
Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating02:48

Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating

38.3K
Radioactivity is a spontaneous disintegration of an unstable nuclide and is a random process, as all the nuclei in the sample do not decay simultaneously. The number of disintegrations per unit time is called the activity (A), which is directly proportional to the number of nuclei in the sample. The decay constant (λ) is an average probability of decay per nucleus in unit time.
38.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Depth profiling and standardization from the back side of a sample for accurate analyses: Emphasis on quantifying low-fluence, shallow implants in diamond-like carbon.

Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM·2022
Same author

Nuclear Sample Provenance and Age Determination Using Ruthenium Isotopes.

Analytical chemistry·2022
Same author

A highly‑enriched <sup>244</sup>Pu reference material for nuclear safeguards and nuclear forensics measurements.

Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry·2021
Same author

Water on Mars: Insights from apatite in regolith breccia Northwest Africa 7034.

Earth and planetary science letters·2021
Same author

Best Practices for Determination of Initial <sup>10</sup>Be/<sup>9</sup>Be in Early Solar System Materials by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry.

Geostandards and geoanalytical research·2020
Same author

New determination of the <sup>229</sup>Th half-life.

Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry·2019
Same journal

Evaluating the Performance of Photon- and Electron-Based Fragmentation Methods in Omnitrap-LCMS Analysis of <i>N</i>-Glycopeptides.

Analytical chemistry·2026
Same journal

Multiplexed Sepsis Immunosorbent Assay Based on Flower-like CoFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/MoS<sub>2</sub> with Dual Substrate Affinity.

Analytical chemistry·2026
Same journal

Coreactant-Filled Hydrogel at Ruthenium-Labeled Brain Tissue Section for Electrochemiluminescence Imaging in Gel.

Analytical chemistry·2026
Same journal

High-Throughput Screening of Isomeric Reaction Products by Droplet Microfluidics Coupled to Cyclic Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry.

Analytical chemistry·2026
Same journal

Prostate Cancer Detection in Urine Using the Fusion of LIBS, FTIR Dual Spectra and FTIR Reconstructed Image.

Analytical chemistry·2026
Same journal

An In Situ Gelled PCA-Na/Gelatin Hydrogel Plant Wearable Sensor Patch Based on Synergistic Enhancement Strategy for Atrazine Detection.

Analytical chemistry·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
10:42

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh

Published on: May 3, 2019

7.4K

Tracking Radionuclide Fractionation in the First Atomic Explosion Using Stable Elements.

Chloë E Bonamici1, Richard L Hervig2, William S Kinman1

  • 1Nuclear and Radiochemistry Group, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory , P.O. Box 1663, MS J514, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States.

Analytical Chemistry
|August 17, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Stable elements in nuclear fallout can act as reliable proxies for radionuclides. This research uses these proxies to understand chemical fractionation in nuclear fireballs and link fallout to device composition.

More Related Videos

A Basic Positron Emission Tomography System Constructed to Locate a Radioactive Source in a Bi-dimensional Space
14:19

A Basic Positron Emission Tomography System Constructed to Locate a Radioactive Source in a Bi-dimensional Space

Published on: February 1, 2016

9.0K
Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
12:22

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films

Published on: November 9, 2015

11.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
10:42

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh

Published on: May 3, 2019

7.4K
A Basic Positron Emission Tomography System Constructed to Locate a Radioactive Source in a Bi-dimensional Space
14:19

A Basic Positron Emission Tomography System Constructed to Locate a Radioactive Source in a Bi-dimensional Space

Published on: February 1, 2016

9.0K
Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
12:22

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films

Published on: November 9, 2015

11.9K

Area of Science:

  • Nuclear Chemistry
  • Geochemistry
  • Forensic Science

Background:

  • Analyzing nuclear fallout aids in identifying nuclear devices.
  • Interpreting fallout composition is challenging due to complex processes in nuclear fireballs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish stable elements as reliable chemical proxies for radionuclides in nuclear fallout.
  • To investigate chemical fractionation during nuclear explosions.
  • To connect present-day fallout composition to past fireball conditions.

Main Methods:

  • In situ microanalytical techniques, including electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).
  • Analysis of glassy fallout from the Trinity nuclear test.

Main Results:

  • Heavy stable elements (e.g., Rb, Sr, Zr, Ba, Cs, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Dy, Lu, U, Th) reliably proxy for explosion-generated radionuclides.
  • Radionuclides from the Trinity device underwent chemical, but not isotopic, fractionation during condensation.
  • Stable-element proxies reveal chemical fractionation trends linking fallout to fireball composition.

Conclusions:

  • Stable-element proxies provide a novel method for understanding nuclear fireball phenomenology.
  • This approach aids in debris formation analysis and the fixation of device materials within debris.
  • Enables forensic identification of nuclear devices through fallout analysis.