Re: conversions

[mirolies@nbnet.nb.ca (Miroslav Lieskovsk\})]

>Ian Fraser ... wrote:
>
>
>        1 Bq= 1distingration per second
>
>        This will however change when Canada moves to metric time


Hi,
Will this mean also change of the definition of quantity named activity?  As
far as I am concerned, I believe that using the word "disintegration" for
defining (radio)activity is not sufficient.  

This is because there is more to it.  (Radio)activity, in my books, is the
quantity that gives a number of radioactive transformations which take place
in a source of ionizing radiation per unit time.  

In this sense the radioactive transformations of nuclides may be a decay
(alpha, beta, electron capture), an internal conversion of gamma rays, a
spontanenous fission, a neutron emission, an isomeric transition, etc., and
because some of these transformations are not truly disintegrations of nuclei.  

Then the unit of activity, named Bq, would indeed represent one radioactive
transformation per second.

(But wait, I'm not a native English speaking person...8^), and this is my
only one-penny on the table.)

Regards,
  Miroslav

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  Miroslav Lieskovsky                  Health Physics Department
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  PS. Opinions expressed are mine only and standard disclaimers
      apply...