Sample interview questions: Can you explain the concept of nuclear isomerism and its significance?
Sample answer:
Can you explain the concept of nuclear isomerism and its significance?
Nuclear isomerism is a phenomenon in which two nuclear states have the same atomic number and mass number but different energy levels and spin orientations. These states are known as isomers, and the higher energy isomer is referred to as the metastable state. The metastable state has a longer half-life than the ground state, typically ranging from microseconds to years.
Isomers are formed through various mechanisms, such as nuclear reactions, electron capture, or internal conversion. The excitation energy of an isomer can be released through gamma decay, resulting in transitions to lower-energy states.
Nuclear isomerism has several significant applications:
- Nuclear medicine: Metastable isomers with suitable half-lives and decay modes are used in medical imaging and therapy. For example, the metastable isomer of technetium-99m (Tc-99m) is widely used in nuclear medicine procedures such as bone scans and heart stress tests.
- Radioactive dating: Isomers with long half-lives can be used to date geological and archaeological samples…. Read full answer