Does beta decay change spin orientation?

In summary, the conversation discusses the potential spin orientations of a proton after the decay of a free neutron. The response states that the proton can have an up or down spin, depending on the momenta of the electron and neutrinos. The concept of spin conservation is also mentioned, and various combinations are given to illustrate the potential spin orientations of the proton. The conversation also touches on the handedness change and the role of W bosons in the decay process. The final point made is that the spin of antineutrinos depends on their momentum orientation.
  • #1
jerry mac
2
0
If you have a free neutron viewed from a known frame of reference which is known to be spin up and it decays, is there anything in theory or experiment which indicates whether the remaining proton will be spin up or down? Thanks Jerry
 
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  • #2
no, the proton can be up or down, depending on the electron and neutrinos' momenta...
 
  • #3
Thanks for the response. In popular accounts of decay, spin is not usually discussed and I am trying to understand it. I guess in order to emit a w minus particle there would be handedness change internally as the down quark changes into an up quark, but that wouldn't change the overall spin orientation of the nucleon.
 
  • #4
the spin is conserved... so you don't have to think in terms of the W bosons...
initially you had +1
in the final state you must also have +1
Now the final state consists of the proton, electron and electron antineutrino
some combinations showing the up/down of proton's spin would be: [itex]+1_p + 1_e - 1_\nu[/itex] or [itex]-1_p + 1_e + 1_\nu[/itex]...
Now of course antineutrinos have right handed helicity, and so them having + or - spin depends on their momentum orientation...
If the antineutrino has spin -1, it should also move towards the negative z-axis, if it has +1 it will move towards the positive z-axis (so that the spin and momentum are alligned).
 

1. What is beta decay and how does it change spin orientation?

Beta decay is a type of radioactive decay in which an unstable atom releases a beta particle (either an electron or a positron) from its nucleus. This process can also cause a change in the spin orientation of the nucleus, which refers to the direction of its angular momentum.

2. What causes beta decay to occur?

Beta decay occurs when an atom's nucleus is unstable because it has either too many or too few neutrons compared to its number of protons. In order to achieve a more stable state, the nucleus will emit a beta particle and potentially change its spin orientation.

3. How does beta decay affect the overall spin of an atom?

Beta decay can either increase or decrease the overall spin of an atom, depending on the type of beta particle emitted. If a nucleus releases an electron, its spin orientation will decrease by 1/2, while releasing a positron will increase its spin orientation by 1/2.

4. Can beta decay change the spin orientation of all types of atoms?

Yes, beta decay can occur in any atom that has an unstable nucleus. This includes both naturally occurring elements and artificially created elements in a laboratory.

5. How is the change in spin orientation from beta decay measured?

The change in spin orientation from beta decay can be measured using various techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy or electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. These methods can detect the changes in the magnetic properties of the atom caused by the change in spin orientation.

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