The nuclear photoelectric effect

Abstract

Some time ago we reported in ‘Nature’ the observation of a nuclear photo-effect, the disintegration of the deutron by γ-rays. An effect of y-rays upon complex nuclei might be expected to occur from analogy with the phenomena of excitation and ionization of atoms by light, and such an effect has been looked for from time to time by various investigators. A necessary condition to make disintegration possible is that the energy of the γ-ray quantum must be greater than the binding energy of the particle which is to be removed from the nucleus. The most energetic γ-rays which are readily available in sufficient intensity are those of thorium C", which have an energy hv — 2·62 x 10 6 electron volts. One can hope, therefore, using these γ-rays, to produce disintegration with the emission of a heavy particle, such as a neutron, proton, etc., only in those nuclei which have a small or negative mass defect, such as the nuclei of deuterium, beryllium, and those radioactive elements which emit α-particles. In fact, only the nuclei of deuterium and beryllium have so far been disintegrated in this way. The disintegration of beryllium by the γ-rays of radium was first reported by Szilard and Chalmers. No evidence of a photo-electric disintegration amongst the radioactive elements has yet been found.