An alpha particle is deflected by a magnetic field
Alpha particles or alpha rays are a form of particle radiation which are highly ionizing and have low penetration. They consist of two protons and two neutrons bound together into a particle that is identical to a helium nucleus, and can be written as He2+.
Alpha rays are easily absorbed by materials and can travel only a few centimeters in air. They can be absorbed by tissue paper or the outer layers of human skin and so are not generally dangerous to life unless the source is ingested or inhaled. If alpha radiation does enter the body, however, it is the most dangerous form of ionizingradiation. They are the most strongly ionizing, and with large enough doses can cause any or all of the symptoms of radiation poisoning.
Most smoke detectors contain a small amount of the alpha emitter americium-241. This isotope is extremely dangerous if inhaled or ingested, but the danger is minimal if the source is kept sealed.
Because alpha particles occur naturally, but can have energy high enough to participate in a nuclear reaction, study of them led to much early knowledge of nuclear physics.
In computer technology, DRAM 'soft' errors were linked to alpha particles in 1978 in Intel's DRAM chips. The discovery has led to strict control of radioactive elements in the packaging and semiconductor materials, and the problem was largely considered 'solved'.
An alpha particle is made up of two protons and two neutrons, all held together by the same strong nuclear force that binds the nucleus of any atom.
In fact, an alpha particle really is a nucleus - it's the same as the nucleus of a common atom of helium - but it doesn't have any electrons around it, and it's traveling very fast.
The alpha particle is the radiation given off during the process of "alpha decay".
In an electric field the path of the beta particles is greatly deflected toward the positive electric pole, that of the alpha particles to a lesser extent toward the negative pole, and gamma rays are not deflected at all.
Loss of an alpha particle by a nucleus results in the formation of a new nucleus, lighter than the original by four mass units (the masses of the neutron and of the proton are about one unit each).
The emission of gamma rays is a compensation by the atomic nucleus for the unstable state that follows alpha and beta processes in the nucleus.
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