A beta particle is an electron or Positron emitted in beta decay. It has the same intrinsic properties as an electron or Positron produced by another process; the name identifies its origin rather than a new particle species.
Unlike a specified two-body alpha transition, ordinary beta emission shares available energy with a neutrino and daughter recoil. The emitted beta particles therefore have a continuous range of kinetic energies. In an applied magnetic field, electrons and positrons curve in opposite senses for the same incident direction. Detector response, energy loss in the sample and collection geometry modify the measured distribution.
A beta particle is a high-energy, high-speed electron or positron that is emitted during the radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus, a process known as beta decay. There are two types of beta particles: 1. **Beta-minus (β⁻) particles**: These are electrons emitted from a nucleus when a neutron is transformed into a proton. This process involves the release of an electron and an antineutrino.
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