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I was reading online about particle decay. For the decay of Strontium-90 to Yttrium-90, a beta particle is emitted. The energy distribution of beta particle is continuous. If I know that the maximum possible energy of the beta particle is 0.546MeV, will I be able to calculate the peak? If not, what other information will I need?

dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
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James Harroid
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    Knowing why it is continuous is a good first step. This then allows you to puzzle the rest out... – Jon Custer Nov 19 '15 at 00:08
  • Closely related: http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/94268/what-determines-the-distribution-of-the-energy-between-the-beta-particle-and-the (though my answer there is not very complete) and two other questions that may help: http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/11664/universality-in-weak-interactions and http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/31514/why-is-the-free-neutron-lifetime-so-long. And one other question that may help if you are really new to this business: http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/172722/beta-minus-decay-expression-for-maximum-electron-energy. – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten Nov 19 '15 at 03:08

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