Beta decay Definition and 142 Threads

Hi all, when an atom goes through a beta decay, say 32 phosphorus. The final state is then 16 protons, 16 neutrons, and 15 electrons. This seems to be an ion of sulfur. My question is, does the atom remain in a positively charged state? or does it ionize it suuroundings and captures an...

I have been learning particle physics lately but it's been mostly from a theoretical perspective and not a mathematical one so I have yet to come across any such math but my curiosity is peaked. From what I understand it, this is the process: n \rightarrow p + W^{-} Followed by...

Can someone please clarify beta decay for me. As I understand it, in B- decay, a neutron turns into a proton, electron, and anti-neutrino, then the electron and anti-neutrino are ejected. But from this example, it looks like there are two additional electrons as a result of decay. 19/8 O ->...

Hello everyone, Newbie here. I am student/enthusiast of science but tend to stay away from physics. This excerpt is written by creationist John Woodmorappe concerning accelerated nuclear decay done in the lab, and I was wondering if there was anyone here would like to critique it. I'm not...

In beta decay, positron emission, how come the condition for decay is: M_p > M_d + 2m_e Thats: atomic mass of parent > "daughter + twice the mass of an electron. I'm sure there is some simple way of showing it, but I can't seem to find it! Also, is the most stable isobar on an atomic...

I understand that a beta plus decay emits positron and beta minus decay emits electron. For the calculation of kinetic energy of the particle released, you take into account the mass of electron for beta plus, but why is it that you DON'T take into account the mass of electron for beta minus? I...

I understand the physical changes in beta decay that eventually lead to the virtual particle, a W- boson being formed. However I do not understand the physical changes that take place, which eventually lead to an antineutrino being emitted. What changes take place in the W- boson, that make it...

In my A-level Physics course we have been talking about nuclear decay. When an nucleus decays by beta emission the proton number increases. My teacher described a neutron as "an electron and a proton" so that the overall charge is 0. To me this sounds like a simplification. what's really going...

Here is a beta decay related question: Masses are from Particle Data Group (http://pdg.lbl.gov/2008/listings/contents_listings.html) Neutron has udd quarks. Mass is approximately 2.5, 5, 5 MeV. Total 12.5 MeV Products are: 1. Proton. uud quarks. Mass approx 2.5, 2.5, 5 MeV 2. Electron...

My first post - Hi everyone. I've been reading about boson mass and speed for a couple of hours but I can't seem to find answers. - What is the speed of the W boson during beta decay? If it has a huge mass shouldn't it be a lot slower than leptons? - I assume the electron and...

Hello fellow physicists and mathematicians! I am 15 years of age and trying to understand beta decay. At present I understand how the proton turns into a neutron etc... The problem is I do not understand how the decay of a W- boson turns into an antineutrino. I've read that the W- boson has...

A couple of really stupid questions:( In beta minus decay, an atom release and electron (and an antineutrino). The electron, does this happen spontaneously? Doesn't the another particle have to collide or interact with the atom (be give it some momentum, or energy), to trigger the atom to...

Please look at the attached file. The first part of the question: why it doesn't decay to the GS. I think that's simply because the nuclear spin changes by 4 and therefore this decay is very supressed. But how "is it possible for the isomeric state at 140kev which decays by gamma emisson, to...

Homework Statement Consider a beta decay: \ {X_Z^A} \rightarrow\ {Y_{Z+1}^A} \ + {\beta_{-1}^{0}}\ + {\bar\nu_e} To show that the KE of the recoil nucleus is \ E = \frac{\ Q + \ 2 \ m \ c^2}{\ 2 \ M_Y \ c^2}\ {T_{max}} m and T(max) is the mass and maximum KE of beta particle...

Can anybody explain me the conditions for become a beta decay. for example : Md (Z=101,A=255) --> No (Z=102,A=255) + e (electron) + -Ve (anti-notrino) can this nuclear reaction be?

Hey I know : n = p+ + e- + (Ve) meaning that : p+ = n - e- - (Ve) = n + e+ + Ve ?? But, how does a Baryon like a proton or a neutron produce leptons ? and how this change can occur : n = p+ + e- + (Ve) u d d = u u d + e- + (Ve) How can a down quark become a Up...

lepton beta decay when m near m_W? Has anybody seen somewhere, article or textbook or website, the calculation of beta decay of a charged lepton in the generic case, when mass is neither a lot smaller nor a lot greater than the mass of the W? It should be some result interpolating between the...

I am new to this forum and hoping all you experts here can help explain some things that have been bugging me. In a double beta decay (any kind, with or without neutrinos), I read that the decay occurs from two separate neutrons, apparently simultaneously. Is this the case, or can one...

Hi all, Why is the beta decay graph( no. of Beta particle vs Kinetic energy) a curve(or sort of bell shape). I understand that neutrinos are emitted, even so shouldn't the KE be a constant value? Thanks

for beta decay n --> p + e- + antineutrino since neutron has quarks udd while proton has uud, only the d changes to u. is it correct to guess that it is the down quark inside the neutron which "transform" into up quark? ie d --> u + e- + antineutrino

What is the best textbook or article that really indepth explains the fermi theory, including derivation of the fermi golden rule and a good discussion of fermi functions? Most nuclear physics textbooks I have looked through seems to skim over the details :frown:

Nuclear Simulation- Beta Decay ?? Hi, I'm a high school sophomore, I'm having trouble finding a suitable trigger for beta decay in my nuclear simulation (for fun) :confused: :cry: :confused: . I have the strong force and electromagnetic forces all set but I've run into the problem of atoms...

In the 16th edition of the chart of nuclides, it lists Cu-64 as decaying to Zn-64 by beta minus decay. OK, no problem here. Then it lists Zn-64 decaying back to Cu-64 by positron decay with a half life of 1.1 x 10^19 years. Assuming this isn't some typo, I have 2 questions. 1) How in blazes did...

In beta decay, an antibuetrino or an positron is emitted from the nucleus. how is this possible? how can antimatter come directly from matter? This is pizzling...:confused:

Recently the radation physics class I am taking reviewed decay and I wondered how beta minus decay and electron capture can both emit neutrinos. I tried asking my professor, but I do not think I explained my question well enough to him. To explain my mindset, imagine you have only one...

if beta decay is the result of ejection of electron from the decay of a neutron into a proton and electron does that mean the the resultant product nucleus would be an ion since it would hav an extra proton? and same thing when a positron is formed from decay of proton?

Does anyone have a link or pointer to preferably freely available software with which I can calculate the energy spectrum of the electrons or positrons liberated in regular beta or beta+ - decay for a given isotope? My background is not in physics (chemical engineering, rather), and although I...

Hey i was just wondering if anyone could help me out and shed some light into " why is B^- decay (emission of an electron) far more common among the heavy elements than the B^+ (emission of a positron) or electron capture decays?" I am looking at a plot of Z vs. N for various nuclei and believe...

In Beta radioactive decay, how do quarks rearrange themselves in these situations? Do they do this? ß+ : 1p (2u, 1d) + energy ==> 1n (2d, 1u) + 1e- ß- : 1n (2d, 1u) ==> 1p (2u, 1d) + 1e- + energy I believe I have these right. Positive Beta decay is "endothermic" while negative...

Hi, I have the following question: Neutrinos can be detected by an inverse beta-decay. The probability for an interaction of a neutrino and a proton is 10^(-43). How large should be a detector filled with water in order to let interact one of 1 million neutrinos with a proton? What would be...

Hi guys, Need a spot of help as i can't seem to find where to go next :( Ok, so there is a source which emits beta particles (currently unknown whether they are positrons or electrons). It can move at an angle +/- 90 degrees to the GM tube. I need to find an expression for the energy of the...

Suppose that the fermium-252 nucleus could undergo a decay in which a (beta-) particle was produced. How would this affect the atomic number of the nucleus? Explain briefly. This looks pretty easy, but I think it's trying to trick you. Thank you for helping.

Hello, I'm having a hard time understanding some aspects of beta decay and I wondered if someone could help. (Perhaps this post belongs in the homework forum, but i don't have a specific question to do as such.) I'm not being helped by the fact that my general understanding of angular...

When an atom experience beta decay, will the atom become ion? This is my deduction: 1.An atom will release an electron in beta decay. 2.The electron is replaced by the electon produced from the decay of neutron. 3.However, the proton number increase by one. It still need one more electron...

i know I've asked this before and please delete it if i can't post it again, but i didnt get an answer last time and it seems to be to be a fundamental problem in my understanding. does string theory answer the question of how to leptons can be produced from one quark? if i undserstand string...

Okay, so one of my hall mates across the way asked this question about his Chemistry, and then I realized that I wasn't too sure why it was myself, so I figured I'd pass this on to you. Take the decay equation {}^{24}_{11}Na \rightarrow {}^{24}_{12}Mg + {}^0_{-1}\beta His question...

There's a question which bugged me for quite a while. Say, in negative beta decay, in a tritium nucleus. 2 neutrons, 1 proton, 1 orbital electron. The neutron changes into a proton, by the exchanging of a W- particle which soon decays into a electron and an antineutrino. charge is conserved...

w particle and beta decay and muons How many w particles,at any instant in time, are there in one cubic metre of a mass of radioactive nuclei which undergo beta decay? And how fast do these w particles move on average? How many w particles are,at any instant in time, in the neighbourhood of...

A free neutron is said to have a half life of something around 15 minutes, or maybe it's 18 minutes, I can't remember exactly. This brings up a couple of questions. (1) How does the experimenter maintain a neutron in a free state? Presumably maintaining a high vacuum is one requirement, but...

neutron => proton + W- => proton + electron + electron anti-neutrino What're the quarks composing W-? To convert a neutron to a proton, there would need to be the expulsion of a down anti-up pair. That would mean a tad bit of mass loss, how does this work?

During beta decay (eg of strontium) a neutron becomes a proton and an electron. The electron then leaves the atom. The atom (yttrium) must then have one more proton than electron so does beta decay of strontium always leave IONISED yttrium?

How do i calulate the kinetic energy and speed of a particle released form a beta decay reaction? for example, if i have Na -> Mg + e (i can't type in the atomic masses and numbers) Would i subtract the mass of Mg from Na ? m=m_Na-m_Mg =23.990961u-23.985042 =0.005937u then multiply...