Alpha & Heavy Ions alpha_recoil_calc
Alpha Heavy Daughter Recoil & Specific Ionization
Evaluates two-body conservation of linear momentum in alpha decay to determine daughter nucleus recoil energy, velocity, and linear ion pair density along the track in air.
E_D = E_α × [4.0015 / (M_P − 4.0015)]; S_i = E_α / (W_air × R_air)
RADCALC HEALTH PHYSICS & NUCLEAR ENGINEERING WORKSHEET
Alpha Heavy Daughter Recoil & Specific Ionization (Alpha Recoil & Ionization)
Domain: Alpha Particle Dosimetry & Recoil · Tool ID:
alpha_recoil_calc · Engine: 100% Local Browser WASM E_D = E_α × [4.0015 / (M_P − 4.0015)]; S_i = E_α / (W_air × R_air)
Operational Notes:
Guided Stepper Workflow All Input Parameters & Solver
1
What do you want to calculate?
Select your target output variable. The stepper will guide you through only the required inputs.
2
Start from a Field Scenario Preset (Optional)
Pre-fill realistic health physics values, then refine individual parameters or jump straight to the result.
All Parameters Entered
Review Inputs & Calculated Result
Solved Output Live WASM Readout
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Entered Input Parameters (Tap any row to edit)
Calculated Result & Visual Analysis
Nominal Solved Value Updated automatically
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Enter parameters on the left to calculate.
CLIENT-SIDE 3D SIMULATION Alpha Heavy Daughter Recoil & Specific Ionization 3D Transport Field
Interactive 3D Geometry & Particle Transport
WebGPU / WebGL2 Ready
3D Hardware Acceleration & Browser Compatibility Status Inspect Requirements ↓
Checking Browser 3D Capabilities… Probing WebGPU adapter, WebGL 2.0, and WebGL 1.0 contexts locally.
Geometry & Field Diagram
Interactive Model
Sensitivity Curve
Normalized Base-Unit & WebMCP Tool Payload alpha_recoil_calc
1. Input & Solved Parameter Ledger
| Role | Symbol | Parameter Name | Entered / Display Value | Normalized Base Unit | Definition |
|---|
2. Charged-Particle Stopping & Shallow Dose Hp(0.07)
Governing Equation & Parameters
Recoil Energy (keV) = Alpha Energy (MeV) × 4.0015 / Daughter Mass; Specific Ionization = Total Energy / (W × Range)
| Symbol | Parameter | Default Unit | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| E_α | Alpha Particle Energy | mev | Kinetic energy of the emitted alpha particle in Mega-electronvolts. |
| M_P | Parent Mass Number | amu | Mass number of the parent decaying nucleus in atomic mass units. |
| E_D | Daughter Recoil Energy | kev | Kinetic energy transferred to the recoiling heavy daughter nucleus in kilo-electronvolts. |
| v_R | Recoil Nucleus Velocity | km/s | Velocity of the recoiling daughter nucleus in kilometers per second. |
| S_i | Average Specific Ionization | ip/mm | Linear ion pair formation density in air in ion pairs per millimeter. |
| Q | Total Reaction Q-Value | mev | Total decay energy released in disintegration in Mega-electronvolts. |
Health Physics Notes & Related Calculators
Operational Guidance & Physics Assumptions
- By conservation of momentum, the heavy daughter carries away ~2% of the total decay energy Q, imparting 70–120 keV of intense localized kinetic damage.
- Recoiling daughter nuclei possess extremely high linear energy transfer (LET), causing crystal lattice displacement in materials and severe biological double-strand breaks.
- Average energy per ion pair creation in dry air is W_air ≈ 35.6 eV for alpha particles.
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