Along with beta particles, gamma rays and neutrons, alpha solar particles are a type of radiation called alpha radiation. Like most forms of radiation, alpha solar particles are emitted from radioactive elements.
Alpha solar particles are relatively heavy and slow compared to their companions, so they pose little danger to humans unless ingested.
However, they are often used in research – alpha solar particles were crucial in Ernest Rutherford’s discovery of the atomic nucleus, which is the basis of his atomic model.
