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Alpha decay occurs in such nuclei as a means of increasing stability by reducing size. [3] One curiosity is why alpha particles, helium nuclei, should be preferentially emitted as opposed to other particles like a single proton or neutron or other atomic nuclei.
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 decay.
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 alphabet, α.
The four paths are termed 4n, 4n + 1, 4n + 2, and 4n + 3; the remainder from dividing the atomic mass by four gives the chain the isotope will use to decay. There are other decay modes, but they invariably occur at a lower probability than alpha or beta decay.
It is more penetrating than alpha radiation but less than gamma. Beta radiation from radioactive decay can be stopped with a few centimetres of plastic or a few millimetres of metal. It occurs when a neutron decays into a proton in a nucleus, releasing the beta particle and an antineutrino.
Heavy nuclides are susceptible to α decay, and these nuclear reactions have the generic form, A Z X → A-4 Z-2 X′ + 4 2 He. As in β decay, the decay product X′ has greater binding energy and it is closer to the middle of the valley of stability. The α particle carries away two neutrons and two protons, leaving a lighter nuclide. Since ...
The 238 U decay chain contributes six electron anti-neutrinos per 238 U nucleus (one per beta decay), resulting in a large detectable geoneutrino signal when decays occur within the Earth. [3] The decay of 238 U to daughter isotopes is extensively used in radiometric dating, particularly for material older than approximately 1 million years.
The decay chain of uranium-238, known as the uranium series or radium series, of which polonium-210 is a member Schematic of the final steps of the s-process.The red path represents the sequence of neutron captures; blue and cyan arrows represent beta decay, and the green arrow represents the alpha decay of 210 Po.