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  2. Beta decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_decay

    t. e. In nuclear physics, beta decay (β-decay) is a type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus emits a beta particle (fast energetic electron or positron), transforming into an isobar of that nuclide. For example, beta decay of a neutron transforms it into a proton by the emission of an electron accompanied by an antineutrino; or ...

  3. Beta particle - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_particle

    A beta particle, also called beta ray or beta radiation (symbol β), is a high-energy, high-speed electron or positron emitted by the radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus, known as beta decay. There are two forms of beta decay, β − decay and β + decay, which produce electrons and positrons, respectively.

  4. Radionuclide - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radionuclide

    Radionuclide. A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess numbers of either neutrons or protons, giving it excess nuclear energy, and making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ways: emitted from the nucleus as gamma radiation; transferred to one of its electrons ...

  5. 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 ...

  6. Decay chain - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_chain

    The four most common modes of radioactive decay are: alpha decay, beta decay, inverse beta decay (considered as both positron emission and electron capture), and isomeric transition. Of these decay processes, only alpha decay (fission of a helium-4 nucleus) changes the atomic mass number ( A ) of the nucleus, and always decreases it by four.

  7. Weak interaction - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weak_interaction

    e. In nuclear physics and particle physics, the weak interaction, also called the weak force, is one of the four known fundamental interactions, with the others being electromagnetism, the strong interaction, and gravitation. It is the mechanism of interaction between subatomic particles that is responsible for the radioactive decay of atoms ...

  8. Valley of stability - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_stability

    Nuclear physics. In nuclear physics, the valley of stability (also called the belt of stability, nuclear valley, energy valley, or beta stability valley) is a characterization of the stability of nuclides to radioactivity based on their binding energy. [1] Nuclides are composed of protons and neutrons.

  9. Atomic recoil - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_recoil

    Atomic recoil. In nuclear physics, atomic recoil is the result of the interaction of an atom with an energetic elementary particle, when the momentum of the interacting particle is transferred to the atom as a whole without altering non-translational degrees of freedom of the atom. It is a purely quantum phenomenon.