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  2. Alpha decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_decay

    v. t. e. Alpha decay or α-decay is a type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle (helium nucleus) and thereby transforms or "decays" into a different atomic nucleus, with a mass number that is reduced by four and an atomic number that is reduced by two. An alpha particle is identical to the nucleus of a helium ...

  3. Quantum tunnelling - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_tunnelling

    Radioactive decay is the process of emission of particles and energy from the unstable nucleus of an atom to form a stable product. This is done via the tunnelling of a particle out of the nucleus (an electron tunneling into the nucleus is electron capture). This was the first application of quantum tunnelling.

  4. Alpha particle - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_particle

    Alpha particle. Alpha particles, also called alpha rays or alpha radiation, consist of two protons and two neutrons bound together into a particle identical to a helium-4 nucleus. [5] They are generally produced in the process of alpha decay but may also be produced in other ways. Alpha particles are named after the first letter in the Greek ...

  5. Decay chain - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_chain

    v. t. e. In nuclear science a decay chain refers to the predictable series of radioactive disintegrations undergone by the nuclei of certain unstable chemical elements. Radioactive isotopes do not usually decay directly to stable isotopes, but rather into another radioisotope. The isotope produced by this radioactive emission then decays into ...

  6. Radioactive decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_decay

    Nuclear physics. Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive. Three of the most common types of decay are alpha, beta, and gamma ...

  7. Island of stability - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_stability

    In the center of the island, there may be competition between alpha decay and spontaneous fission, though the exact ratio is model-dependent. [2] The alpha decay half-lives of 1700 nuclei with 100 ≤ Z ≤ 130 have been calculated in a quantum tunneling model with both experimental and theoretical alpha decay Q-values, and are in agreement ...

  8. Nuclear chemistry - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_chemistry

    Nuclear chemistry. Alpha decay is one type of radioactive decay, in which an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle, and thereby transforms (or "decays") into an atom with a mass number decreased by 4 and atomic number decreased by 2. Nuclear chemistry is the sub-field of chemistry dealing with radioactivity, nuclear processes, and ...

  9. Nuclear drip line - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_drip_line

    Nuclear physics. The nuclear drip line is the boundary beyond which atomic nuclei are unbound with respect to the emission of a proton or neutron. An arbitrary combination of protons and neutrons does not necessarily yield a stable nucleus. One can think of moving up or to the right across the table of nuclides by adding a proton or a neutron ...