Nuclear reaction Common light particles are often abbreviated in this shorthand, typically p for proton, n for neutron, d for deuteron, α representing an alpha particle or helium-4, β for beta particle or electron, γ for gamma photon, etc. The reaction above would be written as Li-6(d,α)α. In 1919, Ernest Rutherford was able to accomplish transmutation of nitrogen into oxygen at the University of Manchester, using alpha particles directed at nitrogen N + α → O + p. This was the first observation of an induced nuclear reaction, that is, a reaction in which particles from one decay are used to transform
Nitrogen-13 proton needs to carry extra energy to produce the nuclear reaction. The energy difference is actually 5.22 MeV, but if the proton only supplied this energy the reactants would be formed with no kinetic energy. As momentum must be conserved, the true energy that needs to be supplied by the proton is given by: Nitrogen-13 plays a significant role in the CNO cycle, which is the dominant source of energy in stars heavier than the Sun. Lightning may have a role in the production of nitrogen-13. Nitrogen-13 Nitrogen-13 is a radioisotope of nitrogen used in positron emission tomography (PET). It